A passenger opened the emergency exit handle cover

VARANASI, Aug 10: A passenger opened the emergency exit handle cover on a Bengaluru-bound Akasa Airlines flight QP-1491 out of curiosity at Varanasi airport while the aircraft was on takeoff roll well into the runway and seconds before lift-off, endangering the life of the passengers on board.

Frightened by what the passenger in question was up to, a crew immediately brought the matter to the notice of the captain, who in turn contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) to get ready for a turnback.

The aircraft, Boeing 737 MAX 8, aborted takeoff quickly and moved back to the apron for mechanical checking, delaying the flight for an hour. Tampering with the cover can risk the door opening mid-flight or during landing.

No sooner did the plane come to a halt than the passenger identified as Ajay Tiwari was handed over to the police. An hour later the flight took off.

A first-time flyer, Ajay told the police he wanted to explore what emergency exit is all about as a quick reckoner in case any need arises any time in future. Ajay was seated at 16A, near the emergency exit.

The incident took place at 7:55 pm on Thursday, according to a late report.

Ajay, a resident of UP's Sultanpur, works in a cement factory far off in Karur in Tamil Nadu at the south end. He was flying to Bengaluru on way to his workplace.

Although the incident highlights the aviation boom reaching grassroots levels in India, it also underscores the urgent need to educate a growing segment of new flyers on strictly observing the do's and don'ts once they enter the aerodrome.

Toilet issue delays flights

NEW DELHI: Clogged toilets delayed Air India's Delhi-Pune flight AI-2982 by 5 hours on Tuesday afternoon with 150 passengers sitting onboard for two hours and had to deboard and board another plane. They had to undergo security checks again. The flight was scheduled to take off from Delhi at 1:05 pm. An alternative flight departed at 5:40 pm.

CHICAGO: On March 5, an Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi had to turn around as 11 of its 12 toilets got clogged. The aircraft was carrying 300 passengers. The flight made the turnback when it was crossing over Greenland after about four and a half hours into the journey that was to last 14 hours. (Why Greenland? See footnote)

The problem arose because of passengers flushing non-flushable items like plastic bags and cloths, it is said. The flight returned to Chicago after about 10 hours in the air.

Why via Greenland: Chicago-Delhi flight route via Greenland is the shortest distance. It is called the great circle route. On a flat map it looks like a detour. This is because the shortest distance between two points on a sphere is a curve, not a straight line. The great circle route has shorter flight duration and lower fuel consumption. The flat map distorts at the poles, the great circle route appearing longer.