AS MANY as 145 passengers, including four infants, and six crew members were evacuated from an Air India Express plane in Muscat on Wednesday after smoke was observed from one of the engines of the Boeing 737 aircraft.
According to reports, the plane was preparing to depart for Kochi at 11.20 am (Oman time). When it was on the taxiway, another aircraft reported seeing fumes from one of the engines. The aircraft was then stopped on the taxiway and the cockpit crew activated the onboard engine fire extinguishers. Meanwhile, slides were deployed to evacuate the passengers.
Passengers and crew were evacuated from an Air India Express Muscat-Cochin flight at Oman’s Muscat airport on Wednesday after smoke and fire was reported in one of the aircraft’s engines.https://t.co/zkuLquO9o9 pic.twitter.com/qK1e81kioA
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According to sources, none of the passengers suffered any major injuries; some sustained minor scrapes and injuries during evacuation.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating the incident.
“The matter is being investigated by the regulatory authorities and also the airline’s flight safety department. The airline is extending all facilities to the guests at Muscat. The airline’s local management and support staff are on hand at Muscat airport for assistance. A relief flight has been arranged to bring back the guests from Muscat later this evening,” Air India Express said in a statement.
“While it was on the taxiway, another aircraft reported observing fumes from one of the engines. However, there was no fire warning indication in the cockpit. As a matter of abundant precaution, and following the prescribed SOPs, the crew stopped on the taxiway and activated onboard engine fire extinguishers. Thereafter, the passengers were evacuated from the aircraft,” it said.
According to an official at Cochin International Airport, the rescheduled flight from Muscat was set to arrive at Kochi at 0230 hours IST on September 15.
In a separate statement, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Oman said the emergency case related to the Air India Express accident “has been ended and closed”. “The specialists of the Civil Aviation Authority with all partners in the aviation sector followed up the initial reports of the accident and its causes, which resulted in only some light injuries. The specialists will continue the investigation procedures of this accident in order to determine the causes and factors contributing to its occurrence,” it said.
In July, another Air India Express-operated Boeing 737 plane, on its way from Kozhikode to Dubai, was diverted to Muscat when a burning smell was detected from one of the vents in the forward galley.
