By IANS,
Patna/New Delhi : There was a scare at Patna airport Friday as a patch of grass caught fire as a plane was taxiing after landing. The fire was put out before it could cause any loss or injury. The passengers had got off the plane before the fire broke out.
An Air India spokesman said in New Delhi that Delhi-Patna flight IC 409 landed at Patna Friday with 117 passengers on board. “Once the main engines were shut down and the passengers got off the plane, the auxiliary power unit (APU) was turned on.
“As the plane was turning in the taxiway later, a spark fell out of its exhaust and a patch of grass around the area caught fire. The fire was quickly put out by the fire service personnel stationed at the airport.”
The spokesman discounted early reports that the tail of the plane had also caught fire. “The plane was checked by engineers at the spot and pronounced airworthy. It returned to Delhi as flight IC 410.”