Cochin (Keralam) [India], September 7 (ANI): Air India Express Boeing 737 operating flight IX 415 from Cochin to Abu Dhabi was forced to turn back mid-flight after the crew detected a rapidly falling oil quantity on Engine 1 and later shut the engine down when oil pressure entered the danger zone.

The aircraft landed safely at Cochin International Airport. Passengers on board were unaware of how serious the situation had become. 

According to sources, the aircraft was about 50 minutes after takeoff and flying at 36000 feet when the pilot and co-pilot noticed Engine 1 oil quantity dropping rapidly. The crew carried out a FORDEC assessment. With the oil quantity continuing to fall, they decided to abandon the Abu Dhabi sector and return to Cochin. 

The commander then contacted Mumbai Radio on high frequency and informed ATC that the flight was turning back to Cochin. Standard safety procedures were followed as the aircraft reversed course. 

Throughout the diversion, both pilots kept monitoring engine parameters and prepared for every contingency. Roughly 45 minutes after the turn back, Engine 1 oil pressure began to fluctuate and entered the red zone on the cockpit gauge, indicating a drop into the danger range. The crew then followed the Non-Normal Checklist (NNC) and shut down Engine 1. 

Landing an overweight Boeing 737 on a single engine is a high-workload, high-risk manoeuvre. The crew completed it smoothly. Passengers did not grasp the gravity of what had unfolded in the cockpit. 

Technical diversions have become a near-weekly feature across Indian carriers. The latest episode comes days after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released its preliminary findings on the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight. That report recorded that Airbus technical experts inspected the involved aircraft for three days in the presence of the investigation team. Hydraulic components and hydraulic samples were then collected for further analysis. 

In the wake of the Phuket-Delhi incident, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the DGCA would raise the annual percentage of psychoactive substance tests for flight crew. The Air India Express engine-oil event now raises a parallel question: whether the Ministry of Civil Aviation will also tighten the framework for DGCA safety audits. 

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) typically reviews a country's safety oversight under the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme about once every five years. India's last major IASA audit was in October 2021; the next is expected in November this year. Whether New Delhi uses this window to amend rules governing DGCA safety audits will be closely watched.

Official comment from Air India Express and the DGCA is awaited. (ANI)