Emirates flight hits air pocket in Kochi

Kochi: In a miraculous escape, the pilot of a Kochi-bound Emirates flight on Sunday managed to control the aircraft after it hit an air pocket and suffered a sudden loss in altitude.

The Boeing 777 aircraft abruptly descended from an altitude of 20,000 feet to 5,000 feet after hitting an air pocket while flying over Goa.

Air pocket is a localised region of low air density or a descending air current, causing an aircraft to suffer an abrupt decrease in height.

The pilot managed to control the flight — which was coming from Dubai and had 375 passengers and crew onboard — at an altitude of around 5,000 feet and landed safely at Nedumbasserry International Airport in Kochi.

At least 12 passengers were injured in the incident, and some of those hurt are reported to have suffered bleeding injuries.