Turkish Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Kolkata after mid-air engine fire, all passengers safe

A Turkish Airlines flight en route from Kathmandu to Istanbul was forced to make a full emergency landing at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport on Wednesday following a reported fire in one of its engines. The aircraft was carrying 236 people on board, including passengers and crew, and landed safely without any reported injuries.

According to sources, the incident occurred within minutes of take-off from Kathmandu. Teknath Sitaula, General Manager of Tribhuvan International Airport, said the right engine of the aircraft reportedly caught fire about four minutes after departure. The flight, operating as THY-727, had taken off at 1:28 pm local time.

Pilots Act Swiftly

Following the alert, the pilots diverted the aircraft west of Kathmandu and shut down the affected right engine. The aircraft was held in the air for nearly 10 minutes as standard emergency procedures were followed before deciding to divert to Kolkata.

Tribhuvan International Airport was temporarily closed for around 15 minutes immediately after the incident was reported, as a precautionary measure.

Safe Landing in Kolkata

The aircraft landed safely at Kolkata airport at 2:49 pm. Officials at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport confirmed that the captain had alerted Kolkata Air Traffic Control about the possible engine fire before landing. Emergency protocols were activated on the ground to ensure a safe landing.

Passengers and Crew on Board

Officials stated that the wide-body aircraft was carrying 225 passengers. As per reports, there were also 11 crew members on board, taking the total number of people on the flight to 236.

Inspection Underway

Airport authorities in Kolkata said a detailed inspection of the aircraft is currently underway to assess the situation and determine the cause of the reported engine issue.

Thanks to timely action by the flight crew and coordinated efforts by air traffic control, the emergency was handled efficiently, ensuring the safety of all those on board.