'Close call at 35,000 ft': Air India flight declares emergency after engine fire scare

New Delhi: In a heart-stopping incident, an Air India Delhi-Mumbai flight declared an emergency moments before its scheduled landing.

The cause and call for emergency? A fire engine malfunction on one of the two CFM engines powering the Airbus A320neo, creating a tense situation for the crew and passengers on board in the flight on Tuesday.

As per sources, the pilots, faced with a critical situation, promptly declared May Day, alerting Mumbai air traffic control of the emergency. Passengers anxiously awaited as the aircraft descended toward Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport but it landed safely.

However, the airline said that upon inspection, no signs of fire or smoke were detected.

"AI814 operating Delhi to Mumbai on 19 December 2023 experienced a fire warning indication on one of its engines. As a precaution, an emergency was declared, and air traffic control informed. The flight landed uneventfully, and upon inspection, no signs of fire or smoke were detected," an Air India spokesperson said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident, which has raised concerns about the safety of the CFM engines, commonly used in various commercial aircraft.