Flames In Engine? IndiGo Pilot Sends ‘Mayday’ Call Before Aborting Take-Off

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An IndiGo flight heading to Diu from Ahmedabad had to cancel its take-off at the last moment, on Wednesday, June 23, 2025. It was carrying around 50 passengers along with crew members. The airline confirmed that a technical ‘snag’ forced the pilots to abort the take-off.

A report in Deccan Herald, however narrated a totally different (and horrifying) story. It says that just before take-off, the pilot declared a flame out warning. The aircraft involved was an ATR 76. When he saw fire in one of the engines, the pilot made a ‘Mayday’ call to the ATC (Air Traffic Control). He aborted the take-off soon after the distress call. Evacuation procedures commenced immediately after the plane came to a complete halt.

The airline, however, did not mention ‘fire’ in its official statement. It called it a ‘technical snag‘. The plane was scheduled to leave the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at around 11:15 am. Soon after the aircraft began its take-off roll, a ‘snag warning’ came up in the cockpit. That’s when the pilot decided to stop the plane and return it to the parking bay.

In its statement, IndiGo said. “A technical snag indication was noticed just before the take-off on IndiGo flight 6E 7966 operating from Ahmedabad to Diu on July 23,”.

Following safety protocols, the pilots quickly informed airport authorities and brought the aircraft back for inspection. The airline added that the plane will now go through detailed checks and maintenance before it flies again.

IndiGo also assured passengers that they would be either shifted to the next available flight or given a full refund, according to their preferences.

This is the third incident involving an IndiGo aircraft in last few days. On July 21, an IndiGo flight from Goa with 140 onboard, had to make an emergency landing in Indore. The issue then was with the landing gear Days before this, a Goa-bound IndiGo flight from Delhi made an emergency landing in Mumbai after experiencing a mid-air engine failure.

These repeated incidents have raised concerns, especially after the tragic crash involving an Air India flight on June 12. The Gatwick-bound flight crashed soon after take-off, killing 241 out of 242 onboard and 19 people who were on ground.