Patna today: Engine snag grounds flight; train blast injures 7

It is learnt that a crucial engine component called the ‘‘engine reversal thrust’’ — needed to bring an aircraft to a halt while landing — got activated in the plane after take-off from Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna, at 7.35 pm. Sources said this could have sent the plane into a spin as this component is not supposed to be activated mid-air. ‘‘It could have lost direction mid-air. The pilot rightly decided to return to Patna,’’ said an official. However, the pilot managed to land the aircraft back at the airport by 8-10 pm.

A passenger, Nivinita Narayan, said the pilot did a ‘‘splendid’’ job and was later applauded by those aboard for landing the plane safely. According to sources, the plane has been grounded and an IA technical team will be sent from Delhi or Kolkata to tackle the problem.

It was a narrow escape, said an official, adding that Patna airport is a risky airfield for Airbus 320 operations. Preliminary reports indicate failure on part of the engineer who cleared the aircraft for take-off. However, sources added that since it was an engine failure, cockpit voice recording will have to be analysed before any final conclusion.