Air India Express Flight to Abu Dhabi Returns to Cochin After Engine Oil Emergency
Air India Express flight IX415 from Cochin to Abu Dhabi returned safely after the crew shut down Engine 1 due to falling oil pressure.
An Air India Express Boeing 737 operating flight IX415 from Cochin to Abu Dhabi was forced to turn back mid-flight on [date] after the crew detected a critical engine issue. The aircraft landed safely at Cochin International Airport, with passengers reportedly unaware of the severity of the situation.
According to sources, the aircraft was approximately 50 minutes into its journey, cruising at 36,000 feet, when the pilot and co-pilot noticed a rapid drop in the oil quantity of Engine 1. Following standard operating procedures, the crew conducted a FORDEC assessment and decided to abandon the Abu Dhabi sector, opting to return to Cochin as the oil level continued to fall.
The commander contacted Mumbai Radio on high frequency to inform air traffic control of the decision to turn back. Throughout the diversion, the pilots closely monitored engine parameters and prepared for contingencies.
Roughly 45 minutes after reversing course, the oil pressure on Engine 1 began to fluctuate and entered the red zone on the cockpit gauge, indicating a dangerous drop. The crew then executed the Non-Normal Checklist (NNC) and shut down the engine. Landing an overweight Boeing 737 on a single engine is a high-risk manoeuvre, but the crew completed it smoothly.
This incident adds to a growing list of technical diversions by Indian carriers in recent weeks. It follows the release of preliminary findings by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight, which involved hydraulic component failures. In the wake of that incident, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced that the DGCA would increase the annual percentage of psychoactive substance tests for flight crew.
The latest event raises questions about whether the Ministry of Civil Aviation will tighten the framework for DGCA safety audits. India's next International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) audit by the US Federal Aviation Administration is expected in November this year. Official comment from Air India Express and the DGCA is awaited.