An Air India Boeing 777 aircraft operating a Delhi–Mumbai flight was forced to return to the national capital shortly after take-off on Monday morning after pilots detected low engine oil pressure in one of the aircraft’s engines.
The wide-body aircraft, operating Flight AI-887 and bearing registration VT-ALS, took off from Delhi at 6:31 am with over 330 passengers and crew on board. Within minutes of departure, pilots observed a sharp drop in oil pressure in the right-hand engine, which reportedly fell to zero. Following standard safety procedures, the crew shut down the affected engine and decided to return to Delhi.
The aircraft landed safely back at the Delhi airport roughly 20 minutes after take-off, flight tracking data showed. The flight had already been delayed by more than three hours before departure.
Probe Ordered by Aviation Authorities
Taking cognisance of the incident, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) sought a detailed report from the airline and directed the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to conduct a thorough investigation.
In a statement, the DGCA said inspection and rectification work on the aircraft is underway and that the incident will be examined by Air India’s permanent investigation board under DGCA supervision. A senior DGCA source said preliminary checks of the aircraft’s maintenance history did not reveal any abnormal engine oil consumption.
Alternate Aircraft Arranged
To minimise passenger inconvenience, another Boeing 777 aircraft—registration VT-ALP—was deployed to operate the disrupted service. The replacement flight departed Delhi at 10:25 am and reached Mumbai at 12:14 pm, according to flight tracking data.
Aircraft Details and Safety Context
The aircraft involved, VT-ALS, is around 15 years old and was inherited by Air India from its government-owned era before privatisation under the Tata Group. While it primarily operates long-haul international routes to Europe and North America, it has been deployed on domestic services on select occasions.
Although twin-engine aircraft are certified to fly safely on a single engine, aviation protocol generally requires pilots to divert to the nearest suitable airport in the event of an engine shutdown to minimise risk and maintain engine redundancy.
Air India Statement
Air India said in an official statement that the decision to return was taken strictly as per safety procedures.
“The crew operating flight AI-887 from Delhi to Mumbai decided to return shortly after take-off due to a technical issue. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers disembarked. Necessary checks are being carried out, and alternative arrangements were made. The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew remain our top priority,” the airline said.
Regulatory Scrutiny Continues
While such air turnbacks due to technical issues are not uncommon in commercial aviation, the incident comes at a time when Air India remains under heightened regulatory scrutiny following a fatal Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad earlier this year.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
