"Established safety protocols followed": Air India Express on Kochi-Abu Dhabi flight turnback due to technical snag

Kochi (Keralam) [India], September 7 (ANI): Air India Express on Monday said that a Kochi-Abu Dhabi flight made an air turnback a week ago as per established safety protocols after a technical issue was detected mid-air, adding that all passengers were subsequently flown to their destination on an alternative aircraft. 'A week ago, one of our Kochi-Abu Dhabi flights made an air turnback in line with established safety protocols. Guests were subsequently connected to Abu Dhabi on an alternative aircraft. Reports presenting this incident without the relevant timeline and context may inadvertently cause unnecessary concern among guests and the travelling public,' the Air India Express spokesperson said. The incident involved of Air India Express Boeing 737 operating flight IX 415 from Kochi to Abu Dhabi, which was forced to turn back mid-flight after the crew detected a rapidly falling oil quantity on Engine 1 and later shut the engine down when oil pressure entered the danger zone. The aircraft landed safely at Cochin International Airport. Passengers on board were unaware of how serious the situation had become. According to sources, the aircraft was about 50 minutes after takeoff and flying at 36000 feet when the pilot and co-pilot noticed Engine 1 oil quantity dropping rapidly. The crew carried out a FORDEC assessment. With the oil quantity continuing to fall, they decided to abandon the Abu Dhabi sector and return to Cochin. The commander then contacted Mumbai Radio on high frequency and informed ATC that the flight was turning back to Cochin. Standard safety procedures were followed as the aircraft reversed course. Throughout the diversion, both pilots kept monitoring engine parameters and prepared for every contingency. Roughly 45 minutes after the turn back, Engine 1 oil pressure began to fluctuate and entered the red zone on the cockpit gauge, indicating a drop into the danger range. The crew then followed the Non-Normal Checklist (NNC) and shut down Engine 1. Landing an overweight Boeing 737 on a single engine is a high-workload, high-risk manoeuvre. The crew completed it smoothly. Passengers did not grasp the gravity of what had unfolded in the cockpit.(ANI)