Turkish Airlines flight diverts to Kolkata after mid-air engine fire

The Kathmandu-Istanbul Turkish Airlines flight declared a PAN PAN emergency after its right engine caught fire mid-air and diverted safely to Kolkata with all 236 passengers on board unharmed

A Turkish Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Istanbul declared an emergency on Wednesday afternoon after its right engine caught fire mid-air, prompting the aircraft to divert to Kolkata, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said.

 

The flight, THY727, was operating an Airbus A330-300 aircraft when the crew sent a “PAN PAN” call at 1:38 pm. A PAN PAN is an international emergency signal used when a flight faces an urgent situation that is serious but not immediately life-threatening.

 

The aircraft had reported a fire in its right engine and sought permission to divert to Kolkata airport.

 

According to the ministry, the crew informed air traffic control at 1:51 pm that the fire was under control and that the aircraft was continuing to Kolkata with one engine shut down. Modern twin-engine aircraft are designed to fly safely on a single engine, if required.

   

There were 236 people on board the flight.

 

The aircraft had enough fuel to remain airborne for another eight hours at the time of the incident, known in aviation as “endurance”.

 

The flight landed in Kolkata at around 2:31 pm. Airport authorities declared a full emergency, a standard precautionary measure that ensures fire, medical and rescue services are on standby during the landing.