A Go First flight, carrying 92 passengers, from Bengaluru to Malé (Maldives) had an emergency landing today at 12 pm at Coimbatore airport after the engine overheat warning bell rang, an hour after the takeoff. All passengers were safely disembarked, news agency ANI reported citing airport officials.
The matter is being inspected by the Go First engineering team and rectification is underway,” an airline spokesperson said.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that the alarm was ‘false’. According to a report in The Hindu, the G843 aircraft pilot gave a ‘Mayday’ call while crossing the Coimbatore airspace. The distress call was attended by the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) ATC, which directed the flight to the nearest airport – Coimbatore.
According to the local media report a full state of emergency was declared at the Coimbatore Airport as it responded to the Go First emergency. Fire tenders and other supprting rescue equipment were kept ready at the runway.
The report further said that the pilot gave a ‘pan-pan’ call while descending at the Coimbatore Airport, which is a level below the Mayday state of emergency and the flight made a smooth landing at the airport. According to primary reports, the aircraft may have developed a technical glitch. A detailed statement on the incident is awaited.