Air India

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    Flat Tire at Patna

    What: Air India Airbus A320-200 en route from Delhi to Patna
    Where: Patna
    When: Oct 26 2010
    Why: A runway inspection indicated a runway inspection at Delhi indicated debris on the runway, and that on takeoff, several runway edge lights had been destroyed, presumably from the takeoff of the Air India Airbus A320-200. The runway had to be closed for repairs.

    On landing at Patna, a tire burst on the Airbus. It is presumed that the runway edge lights may have caused some preliminary damage to the tires.

    George’s Point of View

    *Note to pilot: repeat 3 x: runway lights are not speed bumps.

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    Airbus Bird Strike over Kolkata

    What: Air India Airbus A319-100 en route from Gaya to Kolkata
    Where: Kolkata India
    When: Oct 11 2010
    Why: On landing in Kolkata, the a bird was ingested into the engine on approach. The extent of damage has not been published.

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    Air India Emergency Landing in Kochi

    What: Air India Airbus A310-300 en route from Kozhikode India to Riyadh Saudi Arabia
    Where: Nedumbasseri International Airport at Kochi
    When: Oct 2nd 2010
    Who: 197 passengers (11 in J, 180 in economy, and six infants) and 12 crew
    Why: The flight originated in Nedumbasseri at 4.30am and went from there to Kozhikode. Forty-five minutes after leaving Kozhikode, the crew reported fumes in the cabin. The two Indian pilots diverted to Kochi, made a safe landing and passengers were evacuated. Emergency vehicles, including fire trucks, were on standby as the flight landed. The plane was isolated for maintenance, which found a problem in engine 2 on the right.

    Passengers reported a high degree of alarm from the rapid descent, the cabin pressure, and the fire alarm. They were provided an alternative flight.

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    Delhi Flight Diverts to Lucknow

    What: Air India en route to Delhi
    Where: Amausi airport, Lucknow
    When: AUG 21, 2010
    Who: 137 passengers
    Why: On takeoff, one of the flights tire’s burst.

    The crew diverted the plane to Amausi airport where they made a safe landing.

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    Air India Waits for 787s

    Air India has informed Boeing that it is not making any more pre-delivery payments on 27 Boeings which are currently being built in Boeing’s Seattle plant.

    The delivery of the planes has been pushed back to 2011. Air India representatives independent director, Air Chief Fali Major, and the Chief Operating Officer, Captain Gustav Baldau will be visiting the plant to see the progress made on Air India’s 787s.

    Air India has around 15 Boeing 777s. Air India determined that “Fuel efficiency of the B 787 aircraft was found to be better than that of the competitor A330-200 by 17 per cent.”

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    Air India cataloguing yellow metal/gold of Mangalore crash victims

    July 15, 2010
    The Angels of Air India have handed over identified personal items of the victims to the families as provided by M/s. Kenyon International, the agency appointed by Air India to identify the personal effects recovered from the crash site.

    The unassociated / unidentified items including yellow metal/gold recovered from the crash site by the police have been handed over to Air India. The catalogue for the same is under preparation by M/s Kenyon International. Once the catalogue is ready, the families of the victims will be contacted and requested to provide the details of yellow metal/gold items so that they can be matched with the catalogue. After proper identification, the same will be handed over to the families concerned in the presence of the police and Custom authorities. Air India would also request members of the Mangalore Air Crash Victims Families Association to help in identification of the yellow metal/gold items.

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    Air India Express compliance in key areas reviewed by DGCA

    Air India Express compliance in key areas viz. Operations, Maintenance, Safety, Security and Commercial were reviewed in a meeting convened by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in Delhi, recently. Dr. Nasim Zaidi, DGCA, Mr. Arvind Jadhav, Chairman & Managing Director, Air India Express and officials from DGCA and Air India Express attended the meeting.

    DGCA highlighted certain issues relating to positioning of officers in Operations, Safety and Training areas, Pilots on the regular roll of Air India Express, Flight dispatch, Crew rostering and monitoring of their Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), Internal auditors, pre-flight medical, requirement of more mechanics etc. during the meeting.

    Air India Express has already acted upon these issues viz. issuance of office order for appointment of the Chief of Operations, order to have the pilots deputed to Air India Express to continue for a period of five years, deployment of the trainee pilots, under training now, on Boeing 737s, Computerization and automation of the Crew rostering system & FDTL monitoring, ensuring implementation of regulations with regard to Pre-flight medical, recruitment of additional mechanics from Defence etc.

    Memorandum of Understanding already exists between NACIL and Air India Express regarding Flight Dispatch, Ramp and Traffic Handling.

    The Chief Operating Officer, NACIL will soon issue Standard Operating Procedures including strict compliance with training schedule on monsoon and ALAR tool kit, regulations on special precautions during take-offs and landings, 100% FOQA, Crew Resource Management & optimal use of First Officers, strict implementation of regulations on simulation of unsafe situation during training, strict adherence to approach parameters and Voluntary safety reporting system.

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    AIR INDIA Engine Failure

    What: Air India flight IC 509 en route from Kochi to Bangalore-Chennai
    Where: Kochi Airport
    When: June 30, 2010
    Who: 42 passengers, 7 crew.
    Why: After takeoff, one engine failed. The pilot returned to Kochi and made a safe landing with emergency vehicles on standby.

    A dozen passengers were rerouted to a Kingfisher flight at 8.30 am; the rest were provided hotel accommodations and a later Jetlite flight.

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    Air India Rejected Takeoff, IX-212 Nosedives, ETC…


    Pictured: An Air India Airbus A320-231
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Avinash – iPilot777

    What: Air India Airbus A320-200 en route from Muscat Oman to Kozhikode
    Where: Muscat
    When: May 20th 2010
    Who: 132 passengers
    Why: One of the engine’s Exhaust Gas Temperatures rose too high according to indicators, prompting pilots to reject takeoff. Some of the tires popped, but the flight made a safe stop on the runway. The incident predated the Air India crash at Mangalore.

    Another incident
    Four days after the Mangalore crash, Air India flight flight IX-212 hit an air pocket (or perhaps this could be termed clear air turbulence) while on “auto pilot” while the pilot was apparently in the VC. The flight dived five thousand feet while over Mumbai (reported to be as much as 15,000 feet). 112 passengers and 6 crew members landed safely.

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    Caution Air India: Hydraulic Leak


    Pictured: An Air India Airbus A320-214
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Olivier Mouhot

    What: Air India Airbus A320-200 en route from Kozhikode to Dubai (or from Calicut to Sharjah depending on who you ask.)
    Where: Mumbai
    When: May 28th 2010
    Who: 84 passengers and 8 crew
    Why: While en route, the flight developed hydraulic failure and had to divert to Mumbai where they made a safe landing. A replacement jet was provided, for which passengers waited for three and a half hours. The diversion is considered cautionary and not “emergency.”

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    Air India Gag Order Causes Strike

    Ground crew and engineers of Air Corporation Employees union are on strike over the gag order issued by Air India, leading to over 40 cancelled flights. The Union had sent 75 members to assist with the critical Mangalore crash. Air India responded to the crash with a gag order to the staff over a Bangalore-Delhi Airbus 320 which had diverted to Mangalore the day of the crash when there was no engineer to certify it except a non-qualified Kingfisher engineer.

    On arrival in Delhi, the Air India engineers would not re-certify the Airbus. The rule violation prompted the gag order.

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    Boeing Statement on Air India Express Accident

    SEATTLE, May 21, 2010 — Boeing wishes to express its profound condolences to the friends and family of those lost on Air India Express Flt. IX-892, as well as its wish for the recovery of those injured. Boeing is sending a team to provide technical assistance to the investigation at the invitation of the Indian authorities. All media inquiries about the investigation must be directed to the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

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    Mangalore Crash: Air India Express Boeing 737-800


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer WT

    What: Air India Express Boeing 737-800 en route from Dubai to Mangalore
    Where: Mangalore airport
    When: 6:00 a.m May 22 2010
    Who: 160 (?) passengers including 23 children, 6 crew= 158 fatalities and 8 survivors
    Why: Air India Express flight 812 attempted touch down was around the middle marker. (Conflicting) reports are that it overshot the runway, and that the pilot intended a go round (tapes reveal the co pilot was urging a go-round) but the plane hit the localizer antenna at the runway’s end, plowed through the perimeter losing part of a wing, and went down 75 feet into a ravine, and broke into pieces and burst into flames. On touchdown, there was a reported “bang” which may have been a tire bursting. A drizzle started after the accident. From 5 to 10 people have been hospitalized, but according to reports there are possibly 3 survivors.

    Survivor Abdul Puttur suffered burns. He was seated near the wing exit and said that the pilot had announced the landing, then there was a thud. He saw huge flames after the plane fell into the ravine and then he jumped out from the back entrance. Another passenger said the pilot made no announcement.

    The Serbian pilot was Zlatko Glusica, first officer was S.S. Ahluwalia.

    According to DGCA rules, Mangalore International Airport is deemed a “critical airfield” which means that “supervised take offs and landings” are prohibited. Only the captain (not the first officer) can pilot take-offs and landings. Mangalore International Airport has a controversial table top runway and which forces pilots to make a precision landing. The airport has no buffer zone, and pilots landing planes must fly precisely or risk hurtling off the edge.

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    Air India Airbus Emergency Landing, Hydraulics Failure


    Pictured: An Air-India Airbus A310-324 in Dubai
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Alastair T. Gardiner

    What: Air India Airbus A310-300 en route from Hyderabad India to Dammam Saudi Arabia
    Where: Dammam
    When: Dec 29th 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: After having a hydraulics failure, the crew manually lowered the gear prior to landing. After a normal landing, the plane had to be towed to the gate.

    * While there is bound to be a way to manually lower gears from inside the plane (safely), when I hear the crew manually lowered the gears, I can’t help picturing Burt Lancaster (in tights) or members of the Cirque du Soleil (in the off season) swinging around the undercarriage in impossible formation.

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    Air India Airbus Delayed


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Alastair T. Gardiner

    What: Air India Airbus A310-300 en route from Mumbai to Delhi
    Where: Mumba
    When: Dec 26th 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: When the Air India Airbus encountered a technical problem, the flight returned to make a safe landing in Mumbai.

    However, passengers were held inside the plane for three hours; and the replacement flight did not arrive for those passengers for 7 hours.

    Those are going to be some unhappy campers. Hopefully Air India will provide them compensation beyond peanuts and drinking water.

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    Plane Struck on Runway


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Max Bryansky

    What: Air India Boeing 747-437 to Copenhagen
    Where: Indira Gandhi International Airport
    When: Dec 17, 2009 2:30 pm
    Who: Prime Minister
    Why: While on the tarmac, the Boeing 747 “Agra” was struck by a food delivery vehicle.

    The plane involved in the incident was the Indian Prime Minister’s plane. Subsequent to the incident, the Prime Minister departed from Delhi on an alternate plane.

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    Cracked Windshield sends Airbus to Bangalore for Fix


    Pictured: An Air India Airbus A319-112 over Singapore
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Jxy

    What: Air India Airbus A319-100 en route from Bangalore to Mumbai
    Where: Bangalore
    When: Dec 16th 2009
    Who: 162 passengers
    Why: While en route, a windshield developed cracks. The pilots returned to the airport of origin. Passengers were booked onto alternative flights when the plane went to maintenance for repairs.

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    Air India Airbus AC


    Pictured: An Air India Airbus A320-231
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Wim Callaert

    What: Air India Airbus A320-200 en route from Kolkata to Chennai (India)
    Where: Kolkata
    When: Dec 11th 2009
    Who: 139 passengers
    Why: The flight had a successful take-off, but while en route, air conditioning problems developed. (This can also mean pressurization issues. Specifics were not indicated.)

    The flight returned to Kolkata and made a safe landing. A replacement plane was provided.

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    Emergency Landing in Delhi


    Pictured: an Air India Boeing 777-337/ER
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Rick Schlamp

    What: Air India en route from Delhi to Chennai
    Where: Visakhapatnam airport, Delhi
    When: Thu, 15 Oct 2009
    Who: 162 passengers
    Why: Twenty minutes after take-off, the Air India flight experienced an undefined technical problem and returned safely to the airport, where passengers debarked and were re-routed on another Air India flight, and technicians worked on the plane.

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    Air India


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Thomas Ernst

    What: An Air India Airbus A330-200 flight en route from Tokyo Narita to Delhi
    Where: Delhi
    When: Sep 10th 2009 4:55
    Who: 122 people on board 111 passengers and 11 crew
    Why: The pilot made a precautionary landing in Delhi when ten minutes prior to scheduled landing he had faulty readings of the plane’s hydraulics. The plane landed safely 25 minutes later, and was taxied safely. No injuries were reported.

    George’s Point of View

    No follow-up yet on this hydraulics issue. Was it the instrumentation? Was there a leak caused by lack of maintenance or too many flight hours squeezed in between maintenance checks? I’m sure Air India passengers would like to know.

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    Air India Airbus has Hydraulic Complications

    What: Air India Airbus A-320 en route from Delhi to at Raipur
    Where: Raipur airport
    When: August 31, 2009
    Who: 91 passengers
    Why: The flight had landed safely at Raipur, and had not yet begun the takeoff leading to the next leg of the journey, when the pilot discovered a leak in the Airbus A-320’s hydraulic system.

    One report says that the leak was discovered on the ground before takeoff and that takeoff was delayed.

    A second report says that the plane made an emergency landing after taking off for the next leg of the journey.
    An emergency was declared, and passengers debarked safely.

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    Air India Airbus Lands with Flat


    Pictured: An Air India Airbus A320-231
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Rajesh Changela

    What: Air India Airbus A320-200 en route from Singapore Changi Airport to Chennai India
    Where: Meenambakkam airport
    When: Aug 22nd 2009
    Who: 132 passengers
    Why: After extending the gear, one main gear tire was observed to be flat–not a surprise because debris was found at the airport of origin.

    All precautions were engaged during landing and the flight landed safely with no injuries reported. The plane was towed off the runway to a maintenance bay.

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    Air India Airbus APU acts up in Hyderabad


    Pictured: An Air India Airbus over Singapore
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Andrew Hunt

    What: Air India Airbus A321-200 en route from Hyderabad to Mumbai
    Where: Hyderabad
    When: Aug 5th 2009
    Who: 120 passengers
    Why: After take-off, the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) developed a problem. After returning to Hyderabad, maintenance dealt with the issue and within an hour the plane was back in the air. I’d like the registration on this one–we may be hearing from it again.