GoAir’s Bengaluru-Phuket flight takes air turn back, lands safely

A 180-passenger laden GoAir flight landed safely in Bengaluru in the wee hours on Friday (January 24) after taking off for Phuket, Thailand, following an open-door warning.

The Airbus A320 Neo (VT-WGP) departed as G8-41 at 2.18 AM and landed back in Bengaluru at 3.12 AM after taking an air turn back due to ‘door avionics (AFT) open’ indication at 10,000 feet.

“The aircraft was involved in air turn back to Bengaluru due to ‘door avionics (AFT) open’ indication at 10,000 feet. Cabin rate of climb was not above 150 feet at any point of time. There was no loss of pressurisation. An overweight landing was carried out at Bengaluru. Inspection and rectification is in progress,” a senior aviation official told The Times of India.

However, an airline spokesperson said that the turn back was a precautionary measure due to a technical glitch and inconvenience caused to the passengers is deeply regretted.

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“GoAir flight G8 041 from Bengaluru to Phuket with 173 passengers on board did a precautionary air turn back in the interest of safety due to a technical glitch. After turn back, the flight landed safely at the Bengaluru airport. The aircraft has since been changed and departed with the passengers for its destination at 10.44 am. GoAir regrets the inconvenience caused to its passengers,” the spokesperson said as quoted by TOI.

Earlier, a GoAir A320neo aircraft en route to Varanasi had to return to Delhi as one of its Pratt and Whitney (PW) engines developed a mid-air snag.

“G8186 Delhi-Varanasi flight had to return to Delhi on Tuesday evening as one of the PW engines developed high vibration,” said the official on January 7.

In response to a query from PTI regarding the incident, a GoAir spokesperson said the G8186 flight with 50 passengers on board did an air turn back “in the interest of safety due to a technical glitch”.

After the turn back, the flight landed safely at Delhi airport, the spokesperson noted.

“The aircraft is being inspected and rectified by GoAir engineering team. Alternate flight arrangements are being explored to accommodate the passengers to their destination. GoAir regrets the inconvenience caused to its passengers,” the spokesperson added.

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Aviation regulator DGCA had decided on December 24 to inspect all PW engines, which have been used for more than 3,000 hours, of GoAir’s A320neo planes.

As PW engines of IndiGo’s A320neo family aircraft have also been facing similar incidents, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on October 28 ordered it to replace 16 PW engines, which have been used for more than 3,000 hours, within 15 days.

Worried about the safety aspect, the DGCA issued further orders to IndiGo on November 1 last year, telling it that all 97 A320neo family aircraft in its fleet must have modified PW engines by January 31, 2020 “at all costs”.

Later, unsatisfied with IndiGo’s speed in replacing the unmodified PW engines, the regulator on November 25 instructed it to ground an old A320neo family aircraft with an unmodified PW engine for every new A320neo plane added to its fleet to prevent large-scale cancellation of flights from January 31 onwards.

The A320neo family aircraft, which are powered by PW engines, have been facing frequent on-ground and mid-air glitches since their induction into the IndiGo and GoAir fleets in 2016.

(With inputs from agencies)