Air India Express Kochi-Abu Dhabi flight forced to return after engine oil warning: ‘Danger’

Dubai: An Air India Express Boeing 737 flying from Kochi to Abu Dhabi turned back shortly after take-off after the crew detected a rapid drop in oil quantity in one of its engines.

Flight IX 415 was around 50 minutes into its journey and cruising at about 36,000 feet when the pilots noticed that the oil quantity in Engine 1 was falling rapidly, according to sources.

The crew assessed the situation and decided to abandon the Abu Dhabi sector and return to Cochin International Airport as a precaution.

The commander contacted Mumbai Radio on high frequency and informed air traffic control that the aircraft was turning back to Kochi. The pilots continued to monitor the engine parameters throughout the return flight and prepared for possible contingencies.

About 45 minutes after turning back, the oil pressure in Engine 1 began fluctuating and subsequently entered the red zone on the cockpit gauge. The crew then followed the applicable Non-Normal Checklist and shut down the engine.

The Boeing 737 continued its approach on a single engine and landed safely at Cochin International Airport. There were no reports of injuries.

The incident comes amid increased scrutiny of aviation safety in India following a series of technical incidents involving commercial aircraft.

Days earlier, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released preliminary findings into the Air India Phuket-Delhi incident. The report said Airbus technical experts inspected the aircraft for three days in the presence of the investigation team, while hydraulic components and samples were collected for further analysis.

Following that incident, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation would increase the annual percentage of psychoactive substance tests for flight crew.

The latest Air India Express incident is also likely to draw attention to aircraft maintenance and safety oversight. However, any conclusions will depend on the airline's technical assessment and regulatory investigation.

Official comments from Air India Express and the DGCA are awaited.

With inputs from ANI