Close Shave For Air India Plane During Mumbai Touchdown, Engine Damaged
An Air India flight flying in from Kochi had a close shave while landing in Mumbai this morning after it veered off the rain-soaked runway. Pictures accessed by NDTV show a clump of grass stuck to the rear part of the aircraft and signs of damage on one of the engines. The runway, too, has been damaged. All passengers aboard the aircraft are safe, airport authorities have said.
Visuals showed the nacelle of the right engine -- the housing that surrounds the engine -- damaged, evidently having made contact during what is called a runway excursion. The damage to the nacelle means a part of the engine had an impact with the tarmac or the soft side of the runway. The clump of grass on the rear part of the engine indicates that the impact was deep.
Government sources said that the plane, after landing, made a runway excursion to one side of the runway. "Marking of one wheel of aircraft went into the grassy area on the side of the runway," a source said. Three signage boards and four runway edge lights were found broken after the incident.
According to Air India, the aircraft has been grounded for checks, and the inspection is underway. The two pilots have been derostered pending an inquiry into what led to the scare.
The Mumbai Airport issued a statement shortly after the incident. "An incoming aircraft from Kochi experienced a runway excursion at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai at 09.27 hours on 21 July 2025. CSMIA's emergency response teams were immediately activated to manage the runway excursion. All passengers and crew are safe," the statement said.
"There are minor damages reported to the airport's primary runway - 09/27. In order to ensure continuity of operations, the Secondary Runway 14/32 - has been activated. At CSMIA, safety always remains our highest priority," it added. It is unclear if this runway's closure would lead to delays.
This incident comes at a time when the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation is closely looking at safety protocols for passenger flights in the aftermath of the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad last month that claimed over 250 lives.
Mumbai has been witnessing heavy, continuous rain, leaving many areas waterlogged and disrupting transport services on Monday.
The Mumbai airport issued an advisory earlier today, urging passengers to check their flight status and allow extra travel time to reach the airport. "In light of the inclement weather and forecast of heavy to very heavy rains, we request all our passengers to connect with their respective airlines and check on the status of their flights before leaving for the airport. Passengers are also advised to leave for the airport earlier than usual, in order to evade traffic congestion," it said.
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Even, then, one family member of a victim scolded him for taking pictures and Jain immediately apologised. Phadke said she had to make people feel comfortable before they spoke. Some like to speak – 'I am still in touch with at least one relative,' she said, adding, 'You have to talk around the subject, be conversational.' Also read: Inside ThePrint's mailbox—readers bring us praise, critique, and everything in between Unpacking investigation report Back in Delhi, Bismee Taskin, Principal Correspondent, was keeping an eye out for government communications. 'My job was to get in touch with the DGCA, the civil aviation ministry. To confirm information, verify it with at least two reliable sources,' she explained. She was also in touch with former pilots of Air India. When the preliminary report was released on 12 July, she reported it. 'Preliminary report is like an FIR,' said Taskin, 'No conclusions should be based on it. You have to wait till the final report for probable cause.' Taskin's stories, therefore, were straightforward, simply putting out what the report stated. Have a look: Air India crash spotlights 2018 advisory on Boeing switches installed with locking feature disengaged Air India crash preliminary report: A look at what fuel switches are designed to do & built-in safeguards Throughout the last month and a half, victims' families, aviation experts and the average reader want to know what brought the aircraft down? Why did it crash? There are so many technical details to it—and a lay person, with no understanding of them was prey to various theories doing the rounds. Nisheeth Upadhyay is, in his own words, an 'aviation nut''. Thus, it was possible for him to understand the complex (mal)functioning of an aircraft and to explain it in simple language. 'I was very careful not to act as an authority on the subject, just to describe what we knew had happened and to explain,'' he said, 'No aviation experting.'' On the preliminary report, which led to so much speculation and finger-pointing to pilot error in some foreign news media such as the Wall Street Journal, Upadhyay said only the final report mattered: 'There is not enough evidence to attribute blame. And so, ThePrint's line was that—there's not enough information to reach a conclusion.' I would recommend you watch his videos: they are clear, concise, and to the point, factual—without unnecessary opinion or speculation. I know I learned a great deal from them. The common thread in ThePrint's reporting—from the ground and Delhi—was to keep it simple, stick to verified facts and attribute views clearly. I have one suggestion newsrooms like ThePrint could consider: After tough assignments in the field, reporters may need some assistance in dealing with the traumas they witness. It can be overwhelming, especially for young reporters. Counselling is one option, and a few days' leave may help them cope better. Shailaja Bajpai is ThePrint's Readers' Editor. Please write in with your views and complaints to (Edited by Ratan Priya)
