An Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, flight on Wednesday took off from the Mumbai airport without its engine cover, an ANI report said. The four-year-old aircraft had around 70 passengers on board. The flight (ATR 72-600) landed safely at its destination. However, the mishap has been taken seriously and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has initiated a probe into the incident.
When the flight took off at 6.30am from Mumbai airport, the cowl dropped on the runway. "It was reported by Mumbai ATC that Engine Cowling has been found on runway side after takeoff. It appeared to be from ATR aircraft VT-RKJ at BOM which was operating 91-625(BOM-BHJ). The aircraft is still in continuation of flight," Mumbai airport official told soon after the cowl was found.
Captain Amit Singh, an aviation expert, blamed poor maintenance work for the incident. Speaking to ANI, he said, “Incidents of cowl separation usually occur post maintenance activity if latches are not secured. The crew is also expected to ensure that the engine cowl is seated before commencing the flight.”