IndiGo flight aborted after sparks on Delhi runway

All passengers on board flight 6E2131 were safely deboarded and an alternate plane was being arranged, IndiGo said in a statement.

An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Bengaluru aborted its take-off on Friday night after sparks emanated from the wing of the plane while it was on the runway, followed by a fire, officials aware of the matter said.

**EDS: VIDEO GRAB** New Delhi: Sparks in the aircraft during take-off of a Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight, at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. The aircraft had to be grounded at the Delhi airport after one of its engines suspected to have caught fire. (PTI Photo)(PTI10_28_2022_000196B) (PTI)

The plane is question has been grounded at the Delhi airport, officials said, adding that an emergency was sounded at the airport. All passengers on board flight 6E2131 were safely deboarded and an alternate plane was being arranged, IndiGo said in a statement.

A video, which appears to be shot by a passenger and was widely shared on social media, shows sparks appearing under the wing, followed by a fire. The crew is heard urging passengers not to panic, while the pilot announces that the plane has come to a halt.

HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

A police officer who was aware of the incident said, “We received a distress call at 10.08 pm about a fire in the flight... All passengers are safe… We were informed that there was a snag in the engine which led to the fire. All passengers are safe.”

IndiGo in a statement said, “An aircraft operating flight 6E2131 from Delhi to Bangalore experienced a technical issue while on take off roll, immediately after which the pilot aborted the take off and the aircraft returned to the bay. All passengers and crew are safe and an alternate aircraft is being arranged to operate the flight. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers.”

A passenger who was on board the flight told a news channel, “We are all safe. They said there was a malfunction in the aircraft. Initially the crew did not realise that the fire had started near the wing of the aircraft. But it was doused within seconds as soon as they learnt about it. Within 15-20 minutes, the crew helped us deboard from the plane.”