What Led To Air India Engine Sucking In Cargo Container At Delhi Airport

India's aviation watchdog has launched a probe into the damage suffered by an Air India aircraft after a baggage container was sucked into one of its engines earlier this morning. The Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is trying to find answers to what led to the incident that could have endangered passengers' and crew's lives at the airport.

What Happened At Delhi Airport

Air India's Flight AI101 had sucked in a cargo container while taxiing in dense fog at Delhi airport, the airline said earlier in the day. The Airbus A350 aircraft, which was operating between Delhi and New York, had returned to the airport after the Iranian airspace closure impacted its route. The engine damage occurred after the aircraft landed in Delhi.

Read: Air India Delhi-New York Flight Engine Sucks In Baggage Container, Damaged

"Upon landing in Delhi, the aircraft encountered a foreign object while taxiing in dense fog, resulting in damage to the right engine," an Air India spokesperson said. The plane was safely positioned at the designated parking to ensure the safety of passengers, said the airline, adding that the aircraft had been grounded for a thorough investigation and necessary repairs.

How Did This Occur?

Citing preliminary findings of the DGCA investigation, sources confirmed that the right engine of the aircraft was damaged after it sucked in a cargo container.

The aircraft had safely landed on Runway 28 after an 'air turnback' due to the Iranian space closure, they said, adding that it was taxiing to the apron area, taxiway N/N4 junction, when engine number 2 ingested the cargo container.

This occurred near Bay 242, which had been designated for the ground support equipment (GSE) parking for Air Mauritius. A ground handling company was transporting a few containers to this area when one of the wheels of the container dolly came off, and the container toppled onto the taxiway, DGCA sources said.

Noticing the Air India aircraft taxiing in, the equipment operator vacated the spot with the remaining dollies and containers. The container that had toppled was left behind, and it got ingested into engine number 2 of the aircraft, they added.

Later, metal pieces were cleared, and the aircraft was parked at stand 244.

Further investigation is being carried out by the Deputy Air Safety Officer (Northern Region).