RIL bosses have close call: Plane engine shuts mid-air, makes emergency landing

A private jet belonging to Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries carrying three of itsthree top executives made an emergency landing at Mumbai airport on Wednesday after its left engine failed in mid-air.

The airport authorities have confirmed about the incident. The aviation regulator DGCA has reportedly ordered a probe into the incident, which took place yesterday afternoon.

According to a Mumbai Mirror report, “The unnamed executives and the crew of Reliance’s Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft endured anxious moments after the pilot screamed “Mayday” on the radio to the Mumbai Air Traffic Control (ATC) just 14 minutes after taking off at 2.27 pm.”

[caption id=“attachment_810165” align=“alignright” width=“380”] Image used for representative purpose only. Reuters[/caption]

Soon, the flight that was to go to Delhi for a meeting turned back and made an emergency landing at Mumbai airport at 2.45 pm.

“A full emergency was declared at 1435 hours at the airport for the Falcon 900 VT-ISH flight due to an engine failure,” a Mumbai airport spokesperson said, reported PTI.

The same plane had been reportedly used on Wednesday morning to fly Mumbai Indians players from Delhi to Mumbai, where they played against Chennai Super Kings at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Tuesday night.

Reliance said the aircraft returned for safety reasons and it could have continued its flight as the two other engines were functioning normally.

An RIL spokesman told PTI, “The Falcon jet was on a routine flight from Mumbai to Delhi yesterday afternoon when it countered a technical problem in one of its engines.”

The spokesman said the three-engine aircraft could have continued its onward flight but as safety is paramount the pilot decided to return, and made a normal safe landing.

However, the company remained silent on the identity of the passengers on board. According to reports, the passengers were very senior RIL officials.