An Alliance Air flight with 70 on board flew from Mumbai to Gujarat's Bhuj this morning without its engine cover, which fell off on the runway.
The Alliance Air ATR 72-600 aircraft landed safely in Bhuj, but the aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is investigating how it happened.
Officials said the cover or cowling of one of the engines fell off the aircraft as it took off. The Air Traffic Control sounded an alert and the part was found on the runway.
An official quoted by PTI says the pilots did not realise that the cover had fallen on the runway in Mumbai as they told the Air Traffic Control in Bhuj that everything was fine.
"After spotting some object on the runway, the Mumbai ATC contacted the pilots of the Bhuj-bound flight and asked if something had fallen off the aircraft. However, the pilots said everything was alright. Later, the flight landed at Bhuj without any trouble. When it underwent routine supervision before the next flight, the maintenance staff learnt about the missing engine cowl," Bhuj airport director Navneet Kumar Gupta said.
"While 66 passengers arrived in the flight in the morning, 61 passengers were supposed to take the same flight to Mumbai a few hours later. However, upon learning about the missing engine cover, the airline cancelled the return flight and began the maintenance work," Mr Gupta said.
Sources in the DGCA have told NDTV that the loss of the engine cowling (cover) was unlikely to have had a major impact on the aircraft which continued to fly to its destination. There could have been a "marginal aircraft performance deterioration", sources said, and "engine components exposed to airflow may be impacted."
Alliance Air said it regretted the incident and had taken "strict note" of it.
"We have taken strict note of the incident and a thorough investigation has been initiated. The findings of the same shall be shared with the regulatory authorities and we shall ensure that all required corrective actions are put in place," the airline said in a statement.
Officials said poor maintenance could be behind the incident. "Incidents of cowl separation usually occur post maintenance activity if latches are not secured. The crew is also expected to ensure that the engine cowl is sited before commencing the flight," news agency ANI quoted aviation expert, Captain Amit Singh, as saying.
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