Turkish Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Kolkata After Engine Fire
Zoom Chronicle News | Kolkata:
A Turkish Airlines flight travelling from Kathmandu to Istanbul made an emergency landing at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport on Wednesday after reporting an engine fire. Flight THY-727 touched down safely at around 2:49 pm, airport officials confirmed. The aircraft was carrying 236 passengers, all of whom remained safe following the precautionary landing.
Pilot Reports Right Engine Fire After Takeoff
According to officials, the aircraft developed a fire in its right engine shortly after departing from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport at 1:28 pm local time. Within minutes, the pilot alerted air traffic control and declared a ‘Pan-Pan’, an international urgency signal for time-sensitive situations. However, the situation did not pose an immediate threat. Subsequently, the pilot shut down the affected engine and diverted the flight west of Kathmandu to assess the condition.
Crew Continues Flight on Single Engine
After monitoring the situation for nearly ten minutes, the crew reported that the fire was under control. Meanwhile, they decided to continue the journey toward Kolkata on a single engine. At around 1:51 pm IST, the aircraft confirmed engine failure but maintained stable flight conditions. Officials from Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority said the crew held the plane over Dhading district to evaluate safety before proceeding. Therefore, the pilots remained in constant contact with Kathmandu and Kolkata air traffic controllers.
Aircraft Under Inspection, Passengers Safe
Upon arrival in Kolkata, airport authorities immediately moved the aircraft for technical inspection. The airport director confirmed that engineers are examining the plane to determine the cause of the fire. Meanwhile, passengers were safely disembarked and provided assistance. After further checks, the crew concluded that continuing the long-haul journey to Istanbul would be unsafe. Consequently, they chose Kolkata as the nearest suitable diversion airport. Aviation officials praised the crew’s decision, calling it timely and responsible. Further investigations are expected to establish the exact cause of the engine malfunction.
