Air India Express flight returns after engine oil level drops at 36K ft
With the oil quantity continuing to decline, the pilots decided against proceeding to Abu Dhabi and opted to return to Kochi
An Abu Dhabi-bound Air India Express Boeing 737 was forced to return to Kochi after the crew detected a rapid fall in the oil quantity of one engine at 36,000 ft. The engine’s oil pressure later began fluctuating and entered the red zone, sources said.
Flight IX 415, operating from Kochi to Abu Dhabi, was around 50 minutes into its journey when the pilots noticed the oil quantity in engine 1 falling rapidly.
The crew initially monitored the engine parameters and carried out a FORDEC assessment, a structured cockpit decision-making process in which pilots assess the facts, available options, risks and consequences before deciding on a course of action.
With the oil quantity continuing to decline, the pilots decided against proceeding to Abu Dhabi and opted to return to Kochi.
The commander informed the Air Traffic Control through Mumbai Radio before reversing course. The pilots continued monitoring the engine and prepared for contingencies during the return flight, sources said.
The situation worsened about 45 minutes after the turnback when the oil pressure in engine 1 began fluctuating and entered the red zone on the cockpit display, indicating an unsafe pressure level. Despite the deteriorating engine parameters, the aircraft continued towards Kochi and landed safely at Cochin International Airport.
Air India Express confirmed the air turnback but said the occurrence had taken place around a week ago and that the pilots acted in accordance with prescribed safety procedures.
The airline cautioned against presenting the occurrence without its timeline and context.
“Reports presenting this incident without the relevant timeline and context may inadvertently cause unnecessary concern among guests and the travelling public,” the spokesperson said.
Air India Express did not disclose the nature of the technical fault or the engine parameters encountered during the flight. The passengers were subsequently transferred to another aircraft and flown to Abu Dhabi, the airline said.
