Kolkata: A flight with nearly 150 people had a close shave on Tuesday night when it flew into Kolkata with hardly any fuel left. Sensing the urgency in the pilot's voice, the air traffic control put all incoming flights on hold, allowing the plane to fly the shortest possible route and land.
On Tuesday evening, a Tigerair flight from Singapore with 141 passengers was headed for Dhaka. The weather in the Bangladesh capital was, however, not conducive to land and the pilot was forced to hover over the city. Minutes ticked by and passengers in the cabin grew restless. Tigerair is a low-cost carrier based in Singapore that flies to different cities across South-East Asia and to Chennai, Tiruchurapalli, Kochi, Bangalore and Hyderabad in India.
Inside the cockpit, the pilot and co-pilot debated on the situation and decided to hang around a little more before acting on the next course. All they needed was a window of opportunity to touch down at Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport. Every additional minute pushed up the risk.
Around 8pm, after nearly 40 minutes of hovering, the captain finally decided to forgo the hope of landing in Dhaka and decided to head for Kolkata, its alternative destination. Not that there was any option. The fuel was down to the minimum required to take the flight to Kolkata.
Midway through the 55 minute journey, the pilot checked the fuel gauge again and panicked. The tank was almost empty. It would be a touch-and-go affair. The captain needed a clear field and dive straight for the runway in Kolkata. If it was held up even for a couple of minutes, the plane could run out of fuel. And that would mean catastrophe.
09/04/15 Times of India
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On Tuesday evening, a Tigerair flight from Singapore with 141 passengers was headed for Dhaka. The weather in the Bangladesh capital was, however, not conducive to land and the pilot was forced to hover over the city. Minutes ticked by and passengers in the cabin grew restless. Tigerair is a low-cost carrier based in Singapore that flies to different cities across South-East Asia and to Chennai, Tiruchurapalli, Kochi, Bangalore and Hyderabad in India.
Inside the cockpit, the pilot and co-pilot debated on the situation and decided to hang around a little more before acting on the next course. All they needed was a window of opportunity to touch down at Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport. Every additional minute pushed up the risk.
Around 8pm, after nearly 40 minutes of hovering, the captain finally decided to forgo the hope of landing in Dhaka and decided to head for Kolkata, its alternative destination. Not that there was any option. The fuel was down to the minimum required to take the flight to Kolkata.
Midway through the 55 minute journey, the pilot checked the fuel gauge again and panicked. The tank was almost empty. It would be a touch-and-go affair. The captain needed a clear field and dive straight for the runway in Kolkata. If it was held up even for a couple of minutes, the plane could run out of fuel. And that would mean catastrophe.
09/04/15 Times of India
