Departed for Kannur, came back to Thiruvananthapuram; Air India flight makes emergency landing due to landing gear failure

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An Air India Express flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur has reported a failed landing gear. The aircraft made an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport within 40 minutes after takeoff. It was a moment of relief for the worried passengers and airport authorities as there were 72 passengers on board.

The plane, which had reached Kollam area, was returning to Thiruvananthapuram for an emergency landing. Upon receiving the message, ambulances and fire forces inside and outside the airport were prepared to deal with the emergency situation. Hospitals in the city were also put on alert. The plane that was supposed to depart at 5 am took off at 5.30 am, half an hour late.

The pilot noticed a fault in the landing gear immediately after takeoff. The problem was that the landing gear did not retract. The pilot contacted the air traffic control tower and informed that it would not be possible to land in Kannur. The Thiruvananthapuram airport was deemed suitable for a safe landing. Then, facilities were prepared for an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram.

The flight returned to Thiruvananthapuram after circling the sky and reducing the amount of fuel. The automatic system was switched off and a safe emergency landing was made at 6.10 am using manual mode. The passengers and crew were evacuated and the plane was diverted to fix the problem. The passengers were taken to Kannur in another flight at 9.05 am.