An eagle hit the nose of the plane while it was preparing for take-off, forcing the cancellation of the flight. Alternative travel arrangements were made for the stranded passengers.
“The bird hit happened before take-off. It occurred when the aircraft was taxiing on the runway…” an airline official told PTI.
The incident follows another aviation scare earlier this week when an Air India flight from Delhi to Indore made an emergency landing after the cockpit crew received a fire alert in one of the engines.
The A320 Neo aircraft, operating flight AI2913, returned to Delhi around 6:15 am on Sunday, shortly after departure. More than 90 passengers were on board at the time.
According to sources, the fire indication was detected in the right engine, prompting the pilots to follow standard protocol and shut it down.
“Flight AI2913, operating from Delhi to Indore on August 31, air-returned to Delhi shortly after take-off, as the cockpit crew received a fire indication for the right engine,” Air India said in a statement.
The airline added that the plane landed safely and was subsequently grounded for inspection. Passengers were transferred to another aircraft to continue their journey.
Data from flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed the aircraft remained airborne for more than 30 minutes before returning to Delhi.
Air safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been informed of the incident.
Both episodes highlight a spate of recent technical and operational challenges faced by Air India and Air India Express flights.
(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)
