VANCOUVER- Tata Group-owned Air India (AI) flight AI185 from Delhi International Airport (DEL) to Vancouver Airport (YVR), Canada reported a cargo fire warning and declared a mayday.
Air India operates daily flights between Delhi and Vancouver with a Boeing 777 fleet.
Air India Vancouver to Delhi
The aircraft, registered as VT-ALO and operating as flight AI185, was cruising at flight level 330 approximately 425 nautical miles north-northwest of Vancouver when the alarm was activated, reported the Aviation Herald.
Immediately following the warning, the crew declared a Mayday alert and determined Vancouver as the nearest (destined city) suitable airport for an emergency landing. Quickly redirecting their course, the pilots maintained a focused approach to ensuring passenger safety.
Shortly after the initial warning, the fire alert ceased, prompting the crew to downgrade their emergency status from Mayday to PAN PAN, signaling a less critical situation.
The aircraft successfully landed on Vancouver’s runway 26L approximately one hour after the initial warning. Upon touchdown, emergency services conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft. Notably, ground personnel found no evidence of fire, heat, or smoke when they opened the cargo holds after all passengers had disembarked.
Following the incident, the aircraft remained grounded in Vancouver for approximately eight hours before completing its return flight.
The Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has also been awarded for the incident.
The aircraft involved in the incident is a Boeing 777-300ER, registered as VT-ALO. Further, it is a 15.4-year-old aircraft and is powered by GE-90 engines
Similar Incident
On April 18, 2023, a SpiceJet Airlines (SG) flight en route from Delhi (DEL) to Srinagar (SXR) made an emergency landing back at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The incident occurred after the cockpit received a fire warning from the aft cargo compartment.
The flight, carrying approximately 140 passengers, departed as scheduled but returned mid-air when the fire warning light activated in the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely at 10:46 a.m., six minutes after Air Traffic Control (ATC) approved the emergency landing request at 10:40 a.m.
Upon landing, the aft cargo compartment was inspected, revealing no evidence of fire or smoke. A SpiceJet spokesperson clarified that the warning was a false alarm.
SG8373 (Delhi-Srinagar) Boeing 737 returned to Delhi after the aft cargo fire light illuminated. The light was extinguished following standard cockpit procedures. All operational parameters remained normal, and no signs of fire or smoke were detected after the cargo door was opened during an initial assessment.
SpiceJet Spokesperson
The flight crew prioritized safety, and passengers disembarked without incident. Inspections confirmed that the warning was unfounded. Despite the technical alert, operations proceeded smoothly, with the airline ensuring the safety and comfort of those on board.
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