Oil leak forces plane to land

A light in the cockpit blinked red. Heeding the warning, the pilot of Air Arabia G9-486 flight made an emergency landing, minutes after take-off early on Thursday. The move averted a possible mishap at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The Sharjah-bound flight, with 130 passengers on board, had a consignment leaking oil in the cargohold.
The incident occurred at 5 am. The plane had taken off and attained some height, when the radar data unit (RDU) began flashing. The RDU detects fire and chemical reactions. Something strange was going on in the cargohold. The captain immediately informed the Air Traffic Control tower at the airport and sought permission to make an emergency landing.
Twenty minutes after it took off at 5 am, the plane landed safely on the tarmac. Flanked by the emergency rescue vehicles, the aircraft glided into the apron. The passengers were deplaned quickly and the entire cargo section cleared. Officials inspecting the cargo section realised that a leaky consignment was the cause of trouble. It contained oil.
Confirming the incident, airport sources said, “..Since it was an oil spill, there was a possibility of the plane catching fire. The captain was alert and took the right decision.”
The officials of Air Arabia, however, refused to accept there was a leak.
26/03/10 Akshay Kaushal/Ahmedabad Mirror

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Categories: Airports Mar 2010, Foreign Mar 2010, Safety Mar 2010