A SpiceJet plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Patna after one of its wings caught fire, ANI reported.
The Delhi-bound flight had 185 passengers on board and all of them were safely evacuated.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said that a bird had hit the plane, after which one engine stopped functioning in mid-air.
“Flames were seen on the left wing of the aircraft,” District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh said, according to India Today. “It landed immediately. Two blades were bent. People of Phulwari Sharif saw the flames and alerted the airport authorities.”
In a statement, SpiceJet said the crew suspected that a bird had hit engine number one after the take-off. “As a precautionary measure, flight captain shut down affected engine and returned to Patna,” a spokesperson said. “Post flight inspection shows bird hit with three fan blades damaged.”
Fire engines were deployed at the airstrip for the emergency landing, PTI reported.
The director of Patna airport said that SpiceJet is arranging an alternate flight for the passengers.
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