More than two hundred passengers aboard an Air India flight experienced a tense moment this weekend when their aircraft suffered a significant tyre burst upon landing in Kolkata. The incident, stemming from a hard touchdown, led to major travel disruptions but, fortunately, resulted in no injuries.
The Sequence of Events: Diversion and Hard Landing
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 777-200LR, operating as flight AI179 on its journey from Mumbai to San Francisco via Delhi on December 20. While en route, the crew made the decision to divert to Kolkata due to a medical emergency involving a passenger on board. This decision was taken prioritizing the well-being of the unwell traveller.
However, during the landing procedure in Kolkata, the plane made a hard landing. Subsequent ground checks revealed a serious issue: three out of the six tyres on the aircraft's left landing gear had burst. Aviation experts note that while a single tyre burst on a Boeing 777 carries relatively low risk, the failure of three tyres simultaneously significantly elevates the danger. At touchdown speeds exceeding 200 km per hour, such multiple failures can lead to serious stability and control problems, classifying it as a serious ground incident requiring immediate attention and potentially causing significant damage to the aircraft.
Passenger Ordeal and Airline Response
While no physical injuries were reported, the incident triggered a gruelling travel ordeal for the passengers. They were stranded in Kolkata initially, with their journey to San Francisco severely disrupted. The aircraft itself was grounded in the city, as the airline had to fly in a maintenance crew to replace the damaged tyres and thoroughly inspect the landing gear.
Passenger frustrations surfaced on social media platform X. Ankush Chakraborty detailed a convoluted journey, having flown from Kolkata to Mumbai to catch AI179, only to end up back in Kolkata after the diversion. His flight to San Francisco, originally scheduled for a December 20 afternoon arrival, was rescheduled to December 22 at 7:30 PM, a delay of nearly 48 hours. "Stranded at airport for more than 48 hours. Travelled from Kolkata to Mumbai back to Kolkata then to Mumbai and stuck again," he posted, requesting urgent intervention.
Another passenger, Badri Ram, expressed the collective distress, writing, "AI flight 179 has caused intense trauma to passengers. But still in Mumbai, not knowing when they would reach SFO..."
In response, an Air India spokesperson stated, "Our ground team at Kolkata extended all support to passengers and provided hotel accommodation. To expedite arrangements to fly them onwards to their destination, the passengers were flown to Mumbai from Kolkata on a special flight late last night and departed for their destination San Francisco on Monday. We deeply regret the inconvenience."
Aftermath and Recovery
According to airport sources, the passenger who required medical attention is now recovering at a hospital in Kolkata. The airline managed to ferry the stranded passengers back to Mumbai on a special flight, from where they finally resumed their journey to San Francisco on Monday, after a delay stretching over two days.
This incident underscores the challenges of in-flight emergencies and the compound disruptions they can cause. The quick decision to divert for medical aid was followed by an unforeseen technical snag, putting both the airline's crisis management and the passengers' patience to the test.
