Incident Overview
Air India Flight 315, en route from Hong Kong to Delhi, made an emergency return shortly after takeoff when the cockpit alerted the pilots to a fuel filter malfunction in the right engine. The incident, while resolved safely, bears eerie similarities to another recent Air India flight (AI 171), raising concerns about fuel contamination risks in aviation.
What Happened?
- Shortly after departure, the crew received an engine fuel filter warning—a rare but serious alert indicating potential fuel contamination or blockage
- The captain immediately requested a return to Hong Kong, prioritizing safety over continuing the flight
- The aircraft landed without further issues and was grounded for 28 hours for maintenance checks
Why is a Fuel Filter Warning So Serious?
The fuel filter prevents contaminants from reaching the engine. If clogged or bypassed, it can lead to:
- Erratic engine performance
- Potential flameout (engine failure)
- Dual-engine failure risk (if contamination affects both engines)
Given that both engines often draw fuel from the same tank (especially the center tank early in flight), a single contamination source could threaten both engines simultaneously—a scenario that pilots are trained to avoid at all costs.
Connection to Air India 171
This incident follows Air India 171's emergency return (from Amritsar to London) due to a suspected fuel issue. While the exact cause of AI 171's problem remains under investigation, fuel contamination has been a leading theory.
Pilot's Decision: Textbook Airmanship
The captain's actions were by the book:
- Immediately turned back to Hong Kong
- Ran emergency checklists to monitor engine performance
- Avoided risking a mid-flight engine failure—even though procedures allow monitoring a single-engine warning, the safer choice was to land
Could This Have Been Worse?
- If both engines had shown fuel filter warnings, the plane would have been required to land at the nearest suitable airport
- Fuel contamination, if confirmed, could have led to cascading engine failures, similar to past aviation disasters like British Airways Flight 38 (2008)
Conclusion: A Win for Aviation Safety
This incident highlights:
- Exceptional crew judgment under pressure
- Why fuel warnings are treated as critical
- How recent aviation incidents shape pilot responses
While the exact cause of the warning (sensor fault or real contamination) remains unclear, the safe outcome proves the system works.
