This Article is From Jul 16, 2015

For Whole Journey, Air India Plane Didn't Retract Wheels. Former PM on Board

For Whole Journey, Air India Plane Didn't Retract Wheels. Former PM on Board

File Photo: An Air India Dreamliner 787

New Delhi: Dr Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister, was among the passengers on board a Boeing Dreamliner that flew from Amritsar to Delhi without retracting its wheels.

On July 12, a technical snag on the plane did not allow the pilot to retract the rear wheels after being airborne. Such a condition does not allow the commander of a flight to fly at an altitude higher than 20,000 feet, or else the cabin pressure gets affected, causing uneasiness and discomfort to passengers and cabin crew.

The commander of the Air India flight however continued with the flight and landed in Delhi safely.

"Ideally, when you experience a snag like this, you return to the home base. But always, the captain who is operating the flight is the best judge of the situation," said a former Air India senior commander, who now flies with a private airline.

Sources say the pilot decided to continue to Delhi since it was a short flight and there were no serious safety issues.

An Air India statement said the, "All actions were well with in approved parameters... and aircraft landed safely without any problem in Delhi."
 
.