An Air India flight travelling from Delhi to Indore had to make a priority landing at the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore after the pilot identified a mid-air engine fault. The aircraft, which carried around 161 passengers, had landed at the airport with a delay of 20 minutes.
The Pilot flying the IX-1028 aircraft had alerted the Indore traffic Control about an oil filter issue during descent and followed standard operating procedure and and sought permission to make an emergency landing at the airport, according to an Air India Spokesperson in a statement.
What is a PAN-PAN call?
To alert the Indore traffic control, the pilot made what's called a PAN PAN call, which indicates a non-life-threatening emergency. While MAYDAY signifies a life-threatening situation that requires immediate attention, a PAN PAN is urgent but will not necessarily mean you are under extreme danger. ‘PAN-PAN’ is an internationally used signal that is used both in maritime and air radio communication.
A PAN PAN signal is sent out when the pilot and crew need immediate help from the ATC or ground service. Once the Air traffic controls get the signal, they will first permit the emergency landing and then send in emergency teams, fire brigade, ambulances, and CISF personnel to deal with the emergency.
The Air India plane that landed at the Indore airport was parked at bay O2, and a group of technicians went to look into the fault.
“Due to a suspected oil filter issue during descent into Indore, following standard operating procedures, the crew landed safely. Our pilots are well trained to carry out such precautionary measures.” An Air India Express Spokesperson said in a statement.
The incident took place only a week after an Air India Flight AI-2913 that was going from New Delhi to Indore returned to the NCR after takeoff, after its pilots received a fire alert.
“The crew had initially made a MAYDAY call to the air traffic control, but later downgraded it to PAN-PAN to indicate urgency rather than an emergency. We confirm that the flight had not made an emergency landing at Delhi. At Air India, the safety of passengers and crew was our top priority,” the Air India spokesperson said in the statement.
Another flight, an IndiGo (6E 813) going from Goa to Indore, had also reportedly made an emergency landing after the pilot received an “undercarriage warning” related to the landing gear system. The Airbus A320, carrying 140 passengers, landed safely, though nearly 45 minutes behind schedule.