IndiGo Delhi-Goa Flight Faces Engine Failure, Pilot Sends ‘PAN-PAN’ Alert Before Emergency Landing in Mumbai

On Wednesday night, a Goa-bound IndiGo flight leaving from Delhi encountered a technical issue in midair, prompting Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to declare a complete emergency.

An Airbus A320neo carrying 191 passengers, flight 6E 6271, took off from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and arrived at Manohar International Airport in Goa. The pilot transmitted a ‘PAN-PAN-PAN’ radio call, indicating an urgent radio signal for a non-life-threatening emergency, approximately 100 nautical miles north of Bhubaneswar.

According to airport sources who confirmed the incident, “The pilot issued PAN-PAN as a precautionary warning due to engine number 1 malfunctioning.” It’s an indication of urgency without the presence of immediate hazard.”

In a prompt response, the aircraft diverted to Mumbai where a full emergency was issued at 21:35 IST. The flight safely landed at 21:52, and the emergency was withdrawn at 21:57, according to the official announcement of CSMIA.

All the passengers were deplaned safely, and terminal personnel helped make additional arrangements. Terminal operations were not affected overall, and another aircraft was arranged to continue the flight to Goa.

An official with IndiGo confirmed the incident, stating: “There was a technical snag on flight 6E 6271. As per operating procedures we took the aircraft to Mumbai. We apologize for the inconvenience caused and wish to confirm that safety of passengers is our top priority.”

Other passengers had been mystified when at mid-takeoff the plane came to a halt and sat on the ground for about a minute that prompted concern and justified alarm – before reboarding was announced later in the evening.

In this series of IndiGo flights that have had technical failures, only last week an Indore flight to Raipur (6E-7295) had to return mid-flight due to a glitch. The week prior, an IndiGo flight from Patna to Delhi made an emergency landing in Bihar due to a bird hit that caused panic with the169 passengers and crew onboard.

Officials have praised the quick thinking of the pilots in both of the aforementioned situations, noting the swiftness of decision making allowed for incidents to be resolved before a disastrous conclusion.

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