An entire cargo container had been ingested into the aircraft's engine. A bizarre accident occurred at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning. Air India's New York-bound flight had returned to Delhi due to the closure of turbulent Iranian airspace. However, while the flight managed to avoid danger mid-air, it fell victim to an unprecedented accident right after touching the ground.
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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reported that the trouble occurred after landing. A detailed investigation has been launched into how this accident happened.
DGCA statement
According to DGCA sources, the aircraft had safely landed on runway 28 at Delhi airport. The real trouble occurred while the aircraft was moving towards the apron via the taxiway in dense fog. During this time, the aircraft's right engine struck a cargo container and pulled it inside with tremendous force.
DGCA announced on social media that visibility was very poor at the time of the incident.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a tug from the BWFS company was carrying several containers to the baggage makeup area of Terminal 3. While moving through an intersection on the taxiway, the tug came face-to-face with the aircraft. The incident occurred following this encounter.
Extent of damage to the aircraft
The aircraft's engine suffered extensive damage. The aircraft involved was an Airbus A350 model. Photos and videos circulated on social media showed that the engine blades were twisted and mangled.
However, no passengers or crew members were injured in the incident. Air India authorities have announced that the aircraft has been grounded.
This incident began early Thursday morning. Air India's AI-101 flight had departed from Delhi for New York. Trouble struck after flying for around three hours upon reaching Iran's airspace, when the airspace was suddenly closed. As a result, the aircraft was brought back to Delhi from mid-way.
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While no danger occurred in the sky, the aircraft fell victim to this bizarre accident after landing.
Currently, Air India has only six Airbus A350 aircraft. With the accident-affected aircraft being grounded, concerns have arisen about possible disruption to flight services on routes such as London and New York.
