Aircraft engine part found outside Delhi airport; DGCA orders probe

Aviation regulator DGCA has ordered a probe into the incident of an aircraft engine part found outside the Delhi airport, sources said on Wednesday.

While they mentioned that the metal part might be of an Air India Express aircraft that made an emergency landing at the airport on Monday, the airline said that it could not confirm yet if the metal pieces were from its aircraft.

The sources in the know said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe into the incident. One of the sources said the parts are probably of a broken blade of an aircraft engine.

When contacted, an Air India Express spokesperson said its flight IX 145 encountered an engine issue after takeoff from Delhi on September 2.

The flight was bound for Bahrain.

"The failure was managed in accordance with laid-down procedures, and a precautionary landing was conducted at Delhi," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Further, the spokesperson said the matter has been reported to the regulator and other agencies concerned and is currently under investigation.

"We are aware of reports of metal pieces being found at Shankar Vihar. At this time, we cannot confirm if these metal pieces are from our aircraft. The investigation is ongoing to establish the facts," the spokesperson added.

According to the Delhi Police, a call was received from Vasant Vihar resident Shivani Pathak who stated that metal pieces had fallen from an aircraft at her house.

On reaching the spot, the caller, who is a captain in the Indian Army, said that an aircraft passed over the area and some metal pieces fell from it.

She produced one small piece of a black-coloured metal, the police said.

A police officer said a technical team would determine if the metal pieces belonged to the same aircraft or not.

Since the matter pertains to the airport authority, a case has been filed, the police officer said, adding that a probe is underway.