Jet Airways 737 Returns To Mumbai Following Passengers Nosebleed

Jet Airways 737 Returns To Mumbai Following Passengers Nosebleed

MIAMI — A Jet Airways Boeing 737-800 performing flight 9W 697 from Mumbai (BOM) to Jaipur (JAI) was forced to return after 166 passengers suffered from nasal and ear bleeding.

According to local news in India, the pilots of this flight forgot to switch the aircraft’s bleed system on following the departure from Mumbai, causing the plane to climb unpressurized.

As seen in numerous social media posts, the aircraft’s oxygen masks automatically deployed as it turned back to Mumbai.

“After we took off the air conditioning malfunctioned, then air pressure system malfunctioned too and oxygen masks came out,” told Darshak Hathi to Asian News International.

According to Arindam Majumder, an aviation reporter for Business Standard in India, taking off with the bleed system in the off position is a common practice at Jet Airways.

“Switching off the bleed system for takeoff is part of the checklist at Air India, as it allows more thrust for takeoff,” says Majumder.

Source: Flightaware.com

“During the climb between 500 and 1,000ft, it must be switched on,” he added.

Initial reports by local media state that at least 30 passengers onboard the flight suffered from nose and ear bleeding.

More passengers complained of headaches and severe head pressure. 

“Oxygen masks came out but no one gave us warning or instructions,” added another passenger. “They announced after 15 minutes that we’re landing but didn’t even tell where. It was very scary.”

India’s aviation ministry initiated an investigation and will verify whether this was an aircraft malfunction or a pilot omission.

“The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken cognizance of the incident in flight 9W 697 earlier today and has requested DGCA to file its report immediately on the issue,” said the branch via a public statement.

“The crew is being derostered. Of the 166 people on board, 30 were affected and have been given treatment.”

Jet Airways In Financial Woes


Last month, the Indian carrier’s financial troubles intensified. Numerous sources indicated that Jet Airways had enough cash to keep operating for at least two more months.

The carrier had asked its workers to take pay cuts, but its pilots had refused to take the 15% wage reduction for the next two years.

In numerous social media discussions, some allege that the carrier is exploiting its pilots and overworking them, causing incidents like the one that occurred today on flight 9W 697.

Editor-in-Chief
Commercial Pilot, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Aviation MBA, Globetrotter, AS Roma fan, and in my free time, I fly the Airways Ship.

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