A major plane crash was averted at Patna Airport this morning when a SpiceJet plane caught fire while taking off. The Boeing 727, which was carrying 185 passengers, was scheduled to fly to Delhi. The plane’s engine caught fire while taking off and an explosion was heard. Airport Authority was informed immediately but the plane was forced to stay in the air for around 25 minutes. The authorities were trying to figure out a way to get the plane to land safely and also keep the passengers safe. During this time Patna Airport remained closed for other flights.
Finally, the plane was able to land in the Phulwari Sharif area, which is adjacent to the airport. After the emergency landing, all passengers were evacuated safely as well. People in the area came forward to help the authorities. Some people heard a blast and a plane on fire flying in the air. So, the people contacted the airport officials and decided to help.
“Flames were seen on the left wing of the aircraft. It landed immediately. Two blades were bent. People of Phulwari Sharif saw the flames and alerted the airport authorities,” said the Patna District Magistrate, Chandrashekhar Singh.
Meanwhile, Spicejet said in a statement, “On June 19, 2022, SpiceJet B737-800 aircraft was operating SG-723 (Patna-Delhi). On takeoff, during rotation, the cockpit crew suspected a bird hit Engine #1. As a precautionary measure and as per SOP, the Captain shut down the affected engine and decided to return to Patna. The aircraft landed safely in Patna and passengers were safely deboarded. Post-flight inspection showed the bird hit with 3 fan blades damaged.”
Singh said that the engineers and other departments were investigating the incident, but it seems to have occurred due to a technical glitch.
Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed anger over the incident, saying this was “playing with the lives of passengers”.
