 "Malaysia-bound flight returns back to Hyderabad due to technical snag")
A flight headed to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, returned to Hyderabad airport on Thursday after taking off due to a technical snag observed by the pilot mid-air.
The Malaysia Airlines flight MH 199 took off from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad with 138 passengers at 12:45 am, an airport source told news agency PTI.
According to Flightstats, the Boeing 737-800 aircraft departed at 12:45 am and was scheduled to land at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 7:10 am, with an estimated journey time of 4 hours and 25 minutes. However, it landed back at the airport around 4 am due to technical reasons.
An unconfirmed video surfaced on social media showing a spark coming from the aircraft’s engine. The undated video appears to have been captured by one of the passengers.
Business Standard could not independently verify the video.
In the afternoon, a Malaysia Airlines' spokesperson confirmed the incident that the one of the engines faced an issue during climb after take-off. He said the flight landed back at 3:21 am and the crew and passengers were safe.
More From This Section
"Affected passengers will be reallocated to other flights for their continued journey. The aircraft is currently on ground for further inspection," the airline said.
Tracking website, Flightaware, showed that the flight travelled at a maximum altitude of 29,000 feet and then lowered to 19,000 feet, which it maintained until the end of the first hour of the journey.
In the next 15 minutes, it further lowered to an altitude of 7,200 feet, which it maintained until the last 15 minutes before landing at Hyderabad airport.
The aircraft used in the flight belongs to Boeing, which has recently been facing scrutiny over its manufacturing issues.
Business Standard had reported earlier that in December last year, the company had recommended airlines to inspect the 737 Max aircraft to examine the possibility of loose bolts in the rudder control system.
According to its website, the 737 Max series comprises three variations: 737-700, 737-800, and 737-900 designs.