Aircraft glitch forces Delhi-Goa IndiGo flight to declare 'PAN PAN' mid-air

The Airbus A320neo aircraft, with 191 people on board, departed from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport en route to Goa but was forced to make an emergency landing in Mumbai

 

The captain of an IndiGo flight, en route to Goa from Delhi, made an emergency landing at Mumbai airport on Wednesday evening after issuing a 'PAN PAN' call, according to a report by the Hindustan Times. The phrase 'PAN PAN'  refers to a radio message used to signal an urgent situation that needs prompt attention but does not pose an immediate threat to life.

 

The Airbus A320neo aircraft, carrying 191 passengers, departed from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and was bound for Goa Airport when a mid-air engine complication forced it to make an emergency landing. The plane landed without incident at 9:53 pm in Mumbai. Airport authorities in Mumbai reported that the event occurred approximately 100 nautical miles north of Bhubaneswar.

 

 

One of the officials was quoted as saying that the pilot had declared "PAN PAN PAN" due to a malfunction in engine number 1. IndiGo, however, attributed the diversion to a technical fault. A company spokesperson stated, “A technical snag was detected on flight 6E 6271 while flying from Delhi to Manohar International Airport, Goa on 16 July 2025. Following procedures, the aircraft was diverted and landed in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai.”

 

Air India crash renews focus on cockpit video recorders

The IndiGo incident occurred just over a month after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which resulted in the deaths of all but one of the 242 passengers on board, along with 19 people on the ground. It marked the most severe aviation disaster India has seen in a decade.

 

This tragedy has reignited an ongoing industry debate regarding the implementation of cockpit video recorders to supplement existing cockpit voice and flight data recorders used in crash investigations. Proponents argue that video footage could address gaps left by audio and data logs, while critics express concerns about privacy violations and the potential misuse of such recordings, asserting that the added value to investigations is minimal.

 

Touchdown scare at Patna airport

Earlier on July 15, another IndiGo aircraft experienced a moment of tension at Patna’s Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport. Flight 6E 2482, which was arriving from Delhi with 173 passengers, momentarily touched down before taking off again. The pilot assessed that there might not be adequate runway remaining for a secure halt and opted to initiate a go-around. The aircraft circled the vicinity briefly before safely landing. According to airport officials, both flight operations and passenger handling continued without disruption.