An Air India Express flight, bound for Sharjah from Tiruchirappalli, faced a dramatic turn when a technical failure occurred shortly after takeoff on Friday evening. The flight, with 140 passengers on board, encountered a hydraulic system failure, a critical component that controls the aircraft’s landing gear, brakes, and flaps.
The aircraft, Air India Express Flight IX 613, took off from Tiruchirappalli at 5:43 pm and shortly after began reporting issues with its hydraulic system. The pilot quickly informed the air traffic control of the malfunction, prompting the airport to activate emergency protocols, preparing for a potential belly landing—an emergency landing without the landing gear deployed.
As the flight circled the skies above Trichy to assess the situation, emergency services were put on alert, with ambulances and rescue teams stationed on the ground. A possible fuel dump was also considered, but it was not carried out due to the densely populated areas below.