http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=198848

IA flight, with Pranab on board, makes emergency landing
 
Express News Service
 
Kolkata, August 28: In a dramatic development at the Kolkata Airport today that kept everyone on tenterhooks, the Delhi-bound Indian Airlines flight that was carrying Defence minister Pranab Mukherjee had to resort to an emergency landing.

About 25 minutes after take-off, the flight developed a technical snag in the right engine which prompted a decision for emergency landing of the aircraft. The flight IC-201, which took off at the scheduled departure time at 5.20 pm, was carrying 129 passengers. There was a flurry of activities at the airport with the authorities running helter and skelter to come up with an alternative arrangement for the minister.

Mukherjee was in town to attend an anniversary celebration of Chhatra Parishad, the students’ wing of the Congress, held in the city today.

Ultimately, they arranged for a Kingfisher flight IT-605 to take Mukherjee to his destination scheduled at 6.15 pm, confirmed officials of the Indian Airlines.

The other passengers in the flight had to wait until they could board another Delhi-bound Indian Airlines IC-201 flight which had its scheduled departure at 7.10 pm.

Its all about Who has the Power then

regds

MEL

www.uninews.com

Air India Plane makes emergency landing; passengers safe

New Delhi, Sep 12 (UNI)

An Air India plane, carrying about 175 passengers, made an emergency landing here this morning after failure in its engine.

The flight (AI 161) took off at around 0945 hrs and was bound for Birmingham via Amritsar, Airport officials said.

The boeing (B 777) made emergency landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and all the passengers were safe.

PTI report says ferry flight while UNI report says its a passenger flight.

Same 777 or 2?

This has to be checked. New channels are going crazy as usual.

                                       ***

Did a check. (Sept 13)

Here is the confirmation.

Indira Gandhi International Airport airport sources said, "“It was a relatively empty flight as it was going for a maintenance check. There were only 18 crew members. The flight had just taken off when the problem was discovered and the plane had return to Delhi. It landed safely at 9-45 a.m.’’. (Sources: Indian Express. The Hindu) 

So it seems to be the grounded 777.

Was the "emergency landing" of the IC-683 (Mumbai-Dubai) now an attempted hijack??

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2006/September/theuae_September423.xml&section=theuae
IA flight diversion precautionary measure against hijacking threat
By a staff reporter

14 September 2006

DUBAI — The diversion of the Indian Airlines aircraft to Al Minhad military air base in Dubai, on Tuesday night, was a precautionary measure against a perceived hijacking threat according to Dubai Police.

Dubai Police said yesterday that they had received a tip off from Indian authorities that there were two suspects on board, who intended to hijack the aircraft with all 145 passengers on board.

The flight, IC 683, however returned to Mumbai yesterday morning with Indian airlines officials admitting that Dubai International Airport had received a call from Delhi pertaining to a bomb hoax. That message forced the civil aviation authorities here to refuse landing rights and  divert the flight. The flight captain also requested a quick landing clearance as he was running out of fuel.

An official of Dubai Police told Khaleej Times yesterday that security officials in Dubai handled the incident with extreme caution and that all passengers were safe and secure.

According to him, “The captain was ordered by the Air Traffic Control tower in India at 10.30pm on Tuesday night to return to India as soon as possible.  But the Captain refused to do so as he was running short of fuel.” The Indian officials then advised him to refuel the plane and return, the source disclosed.

When security officials in Dubai asked for an explanation for the low fuel supply and the possibility that the aircraft may return to Mumbai without disembarking its passengers, the Indian authorities said they suspected two men onboard  and feared they might attempt to hijack the aircraft.

The source added that once the security agencies in Dubai received this clarification from their Indian counterparts, the aviation authorities here, acting on the instructions of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces sanctioned the plane landing at the Al Minhad air base. This emergency decision was taken to ensure passenger safety.

The passengers were also allowed to disembark at the Al Minhad airbase. Their names were cross-checked against the passenger’s manifest and their luggage also carefully scrutinised. But the names of the two suspected passengers did not figure on the passengers list, the source said.

He disclosed that after a thorough security check of all passengers and the aircraft itself, the passengers were taken to Dubai International Airport by buses to complete immigration procedures.

Explaining further, the official said that the Indian authorities clarified later that the two suspects had perhaps nothing to do with the flight. But their names were included in the passenger’s manifest by mistake leading to the scare.

According to a source at Dubai General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) airport authorities said, “The plane was not allowed to land at the DIA tarmac because in security cases like this we have to follow certain standard procedures.”

The source explained that at 10pm, the Indian airlines aircraft was diverted to Minhad air base in Dubai, where a proper inspection was carried out both by the Dubai Police and Army.

“The aircraft was thoroughly searched, including the luggage. Members of the crew, as well as the passengers, were also checked as part of standard security procedures but no bomb was found on board,” the source added. Following the thorough inspection, the GCAA source said the plane was declared safe and was allowed to carry on with its regular flight procedures.

“All passengers onboard were safe and the diversion did not cause any chaos. The passengers were transported to Dubai International Airport and all the entry procedures were done as usual. After confirming that the distress call was a hoax the aircraft refuelled at the air base and flew back to Dubai International Airport. The flight left for Mumbai yesterday morning at 5am,” he disclosed.

Meanwhile, Pankaj Srivastav, Regional Manager, Indian airlines in Dubai said the drama unfurled after Indian airlines office in New Delhi received an anonymous call claiming that there were bombs on board the aircraft, soon after the aircraft left Mumbai. The Indian Civil Aviation officials immediately alerted their counterparts in Dubai about the threat. “We provided all necessary precautionary arrangements for passengers including medical assistance etc,” he added. According to a passenger on board the flight, “we were not aware about any such threats until the flight landed at the military air base. The flight circled over Dubai International Airport for around 45 minutes. But we had no clue what was going on because no announcements were made by the flight captain on board.” He added, “It was only after the aircraft landed with a thud at the air base and security officials burst into the aircraft, that passengers realised something was wrong. However, the airline officials  were very supportive and provided the passengers with all necessary assistance in transporting us to Dubai and to complete our immigration formalities.”

Among the passengers on board was a team of Indian artistes coming to Dubai to perform in the Kaifi Aur Mein, theatrical bonanza being staged tonight at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

I wonder why there is so much obsession with IC flights getting delayed/diverted etc. They still manage well over 95% on time performance!

9W also has its share of delays. I remember being stuck in Delhi airport on 2 days in August with 9W flights ebign delayed across the board while IC flights were all on time!! If I remember correctly, one of their ATR's returned from the runway due to a snag. But I dont see discussions like "9W aircraft returns to bay" or something like that?

Lets give IC fellows credit where its due!!

http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/26/stories/2006092623710100.htm
Miraculous escape for air passengers

Staff Reporter

Bird-hit reported on Alliance flight at Begumpet airport runway 

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The Mumbai-bound flight was cancelled leaving more than 50 passengers stranded for two hours
With several slums around, the threat of bird-hit always looms large over the airport
We have to chalk out other methods to control the menace keeping in view the increase in air traffic, says official
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HYDERABAD: Over 100 passengers had a miraculous escape after Visakhapatnam-Hyderabad Alliance Air flight was hit by a bird at Begumpet airport on Monday.

Flight no. 7562 landed on the runway and was taxing towards the parking bay at around 11 a.m.

A bird, suspected to be a vulture, hit the aircraft wing, leading to some damage. Sources, who did not wish to be identified, said the engine as damaged.

A sigh of relief

The airport authorities heaved a sigh of relief as the bird-hit was reported on the runway. "The situation would have been far different had the bird collided with the aircraft mid-air," an official said.

The Boeing-737 aircraft with 119-seating capacity was later hauled to the workshop for repairs.

The aircraft, which was to go to Mumbai, was cancelled leaving more than 50 passengers stranded for nearly two hours. They were accommodated in another flight later in the evening.

According to a senior official, airport employees burst air bombs and crackers on the runway for every 10 minutes to prevent birds from entering the airport premises.

Problem persists

A separate vehicle with gas cylinders, air bombs and crackers is also provided for the purpose. But the problem persists, he explained. With several slums and thickly populated localities all around, several of them even encroaching onto the airport land, the threat of bird-hit has always loomed large over the airport. "We have to chalk out other methods to control the menace keeping in view the increase in air traffic," the official said.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200610151926.htm

Alliance Air plane suffers bird hit, 60 passengers have providential escape

Jodhpur, Oct. 15 (PTI): All the 60 passengers, including Supreme Court judge Justice P P Navelkar and senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi, today had a providential escape when the Alliance Air Boeing 737 plane carrying them suffered a bird hit soon after take off from here and landed at the airport here under emergency conditions.

The IC-7474 flight from Mumbai to Delhi via Jodhpur took off from here at around 17.05 hours and a vulture hit the turbine of the plane, official sources said.

The pilot immediately decided to make an emergency landing which was successfully executed.

The bird hit caused technical problem in the turbine of the plane and engineers of the airlines immediately attended to the technical fault, the sources said.

Justice Navlekar was coming from Mumbai while Singhvi was returning to Delhi from Jodhpur.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200610171966.htm

Bird hits IA flight after take-off, passengers crew safe

Jaipur, Oct. 16 (PTI): An Indian Airlines flight from Dubai to Mumbai via Jaipur today was birdhit while taking off from Sanganer airport on the city outskirts, two days after passengers on a plane over Jodhpur had a narrow shave.

None of the 80-odd passengers and crew on board IC 896, were injured, an official said.

She said the aircraft was immediately grounded and many of the passengers later caught another flight by a private airline 'Go Air', an official said.

The plane was sent for inspection as its engine might have suffered some damage, the official said.

It was on a routine international flight from Dubai to Mumbai via New Delhi and Jaipur when a bird struck a portion of the engine at around 8 am soon after take-off, she said.

From Jaipur to Mumbai it was domestic flight IC 612, she added.

karatecatman wrote:

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According to sources, a bird hit the engine of the Indian Airlines flight- IC 567 (Kuwait-Cochin via Goa), while landing at Dabolim airport. The incident took place at around 9 a.m.

KWI - GOI - COK is operated by IC 576 and the flight ends in MAA.

aM