Kingfisher Grounds Aircraft

8 October 2010. A Kingfisher Airlines Airbus A321-232 performing flight IT-331 from Mumbai to New Delhi suffered a bird hit.

During the take-off run, a loud thud was heard, since the aircraft was already beyond V1 (pilot in command continued the take-off, and after being airborne, requested Mumbai ATC for a return back to the airport. The plane landed safely on one engine, and passengers disembarked normally.

A subsequent inspection confirmed the ingestion of a large bird into the engine and also revealed extensive damage to the engine. Passengers were transferred on to other flights of the carrier.

In normal circumstances a bird stike is just one of the routine hazards of daily airline business, but in the case of Kingfisher, this incident has just added to the on-going engine woes at the airline, leading to many of its aircraft being grounded for extended periods of time.