An Air India Airbus A350-900 operating flight AI-102 from New York (JFK) to Delhi was forced to make a precautionary diversion to Shannon Airport in Ireland after crew members reported a strange, unidentified noise inside the cabin.
The aircraft, registered VT-JRF, departed New York on March 15 carrying 240 passengers and crew, News.Az reports, citing The Aviation Herald.
While cruising at 33,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 270 nautical miles southwest of Shannon, the crew detected an unusual noise that passengers described as irritating and persistent.
According to aviation incident monitoring sources, the crew spent about 30 minutes attempting to locate the cause of the noise, including shutting down several onboard systems, but were unable to identify its source. As a precaution, the pilots decided to divert the aircraft to the nearest suitable airport.
The wide-body jet landed safely on runway 24 at Shannon Airport roughly 50 minutes after the diversion decision.
Air India later confirmed that the diversion was caused by a suspected technical issue, describing it as a precautionary measure taken in the interest of passenger safety.
Several passengers said the disturbance began when the aircraft flew through an area of turbulence. They reported hearing an unusual sound accompanied by vibrations coming from the rear of the aircraft, which later appeared to spread forward and even affect sections of the upper cabin.
Despite the unusual situation, no injuries were reported, and the landing was completed without incident.
As of several hours after landing, the aircraft remained on the ground in Shannon while technical teams inspected the aircraft to determine the source of the noise.
Aviation authorities and airline engineers are expected to conduct a detailed examination before the aircraft is cleared to continue service.
