BENGALURU: The GoAir flight, which made an emergency landing at Kempe Gowda International airport on Saturday following engine problems, suffered a second technical failure as it was approaching the parking bay and had to be towed away with passengers on board, according to an eyewitness. The flight was heading to Pune on Saturday morning but had to return to KIA within 20 minutes of take-off.
Despite the twin snags and the scare, the 169 passengers on board unanimously applauded the stellar job performed by the two pilots on board. Flight G8-283 was piloted by Captain Deepesh Gracias and First Officer Sachin Kambli. Anil P Monteiro, Human Resources Director at the Bengaluru office of a Finland company and a frequent flyer out of KIA, relived his experience for The New Indian Express. “It was 5.50 am when the flight took off and by 6.10 am an announcement was made from the pilot’s cabin that a technical glitch had occurred and the flight was returning to Bengaluru.”
“The pilot also assured us that the problem would be quickly fixed and the flight would resume the journey,” Monteiro recalled. Occupying seat No 8, Monteiro said, “The flight then took a U-turn. I knew something was amiss as you could spot through the window that the rear of the flight had dropped slightly. I always notice this drooping happens only when landing.”
To add more the drama, the flight had a slightly bumpy landing at KIA, he recalled. “And then as the aircraft was slowly approaching the designated parking bay, it developed some other technical problem and stopped 10 metres from its destination. The pilot made an announcement and a tow vehicle will be used to take the flight with passengers to the spot,” he recalled. However, what really stands out in Monteiro’s mind were the happy faces, the genuine appreciation and relief all around. “The minute the flight landed, a round of claps began from the rear seats and slowly spread till the front seat. Literally, instant gratitude was shown to the pilots. I felt that despite flying very frequently, I have watched such dramatic scenes only in movies,” he said.
Many technical staffers reached the flight then and tried to rectify the fault for 45 minutes. “We were all on board during that time, but were later told it would take time to sort out the issues. All of us were taken to another GoAir flight which took off for Pune at 8.30 am,” he said. “No chaos and no real fear. We were kept well informed and taken care of by the staffers,” he said.
Lauding the role of its pilots, a GoAir spokesperson told TNIE, “They exemplified the professionalism and training provided to all GoAir Captains and First Officers. As the technical snag appeared, they analyzed it, decided the best course of action based on SOP, and completed the appropriate checklists. “
Attendants make woman comfortable
While incidents of crew or passenger misbehavior are quite common, the attendants on board the flight showed exemplary behaviour, taking a very humane approach to an ailing woman passenger. Anil P Monteiro, a passenger on board, said, “A woman in her thirties suddenly took ill before take off. Her condition was so visible on her face. When staff were told about this, they immediately offered vacant seats in Business Class to the woman and her husband.” Not many airlines are open to helping out passengers instantly in this fashion, he added. “I have asked other airlines in the past when seats were empty but the staff refuse it,” he added.