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A Turkish Airlines aircraft bound for Istanbul made an emergency landing in Kolkata on Wednesday after its right engine caught fire shortly after takeoff from Nepal, airport officials said. All 236 people aboard were safely evacuated.
The incident occurred on flight TK727, which departed Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at 1:28 p.m. local time carrying 225 passengers and 11 crew members. The fire erupted in the right engine within four minutes of takeoff, according to Teknath Sitaula, general manager of Tribhuvan International Airport.
The pilot alerted Kolkata air traffic control about the potential fire and diverted the Airbus A330-303 westward from its planned route. The crew shut down the affected engine while keeping the aircraft airborne for approximately 10 minutes before landing at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at 2:49 p.m.
Airport director at Kolkata's international airport confirmed that a full emergency was declared for the incoming Turkish Airlines flight. The aircraft is currently stationed at Kolkata Airport, where investigators are examining the cause of the engine malfunction.
The emergency prompted a brief closure of Tribhuvan International Airport, which suspended operations for about 15 minutes following the incident report.
Turkish Airlines operates regular service between Kathmandu and Istanbul using widebody aircraft. The A330-300 is a twin-engine, long-range airliner capable of carrying between 250 and 290 passengers depending on configuration. Aviation regulations require commercial aircraft to be capable of sustained flight on a single engine in the event of an emergency.
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