New Delhi: A Thiruvananthpuram-bound IndiGo plane with 173 passengers on board experienced a fuel leak, forcing it to abort take off and return to the parking bay at the Indira Gandhi International airport here.
Sources said there was fuel spillage from the right wing of the aircraft at 4.35 pm on Tuesday when it was taxiing for take off. A fire engine was pressed into service and a substitute plane was arranged and the flight took off two hours later at 6.15 pm and landed at Thiruvananthpuram at 9.26 pm.
According to airport sources, the airline reported only a ‘wing tank overflow’ at first and later acknowledged oil spillage.
“Flight crew were alerted by on board computers about ‘Fuel Right Wing Tank Overflow’. Flight crew carried out their required procedure as per Airbus checklist and also the overflow was confirmed by the ground staff,” IndiGo said in a statement. As a precaution engines were shut down and aircraft was towed back to the bay, it said.
The airline said that it is investigating the matter and that it has also informed safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation about the incident.
