Bird Strike Forces Air India Flight to Grounded; DGCA Probes Separate Mid-Air Scare

An Air India flight from Colombo to Chennai carrying 158 passengers suffered a bird hit on Tuesday, leading to the cancellation of the aircraft’s return journey. According to officials quoted by PTI, the bird strike was detected after the aircraft had landed safely at Chennai airport. All passengers were disembarked without incident.

Following the discovery, the aircraft was immediately grounded for detailed inspection by Air India engineers and airport officials. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that during a routine post-flight check, engineers noticed an impact on one of the engine blades. As a precaution, the aircraft has been taken out of service for further investigation and to determine the exact cause and extent of the damage.

Air India arranged an alternative aircraft to accommodate the 137 passengers scheduled to fly from Chennai back to Colombo. The replacement flight departed without delay, ensuring minimal disruption for the passengers.

In a statement, an Air India spokesperson said that flight AI273, which operates from Chennai to Colombo, had initially reported a suspected bird strike. Engineers in Colombo found no visible damage after a thorough inspection and cleared the aircraft for its return journey as flight AI274. However, the issue was later discovered during the standard checks conducted in Chennai after landing.

In a separate incident, Air India is also under scrutiny following a mid-air technical issue involving another aircraft. On Saturday, a flight from Amritsar to Birmingham experienced an unexpected deployment of its Ram Air Turbine (RAT) system during its final approach. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, landed safely at Birmingham and has since been grounded for inspection.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated an investigation into the RAT deployment. The RAT system is an emergency backup device designed to provide hydraulic and electrical power in the event of a complete power failure. However, in this case, all systems were functioning normally, and the reason behind the RAT activation remains unclear.

Air India confirmed that all safety protocols were followed, and no passengers were harmed in either incident. Both cases are being thoroughly investigated to ensure there are no risks to future operations.