India, Sept. 18 -- An Air India Express flight bound for Hyderabad was forced to make an emergency landing in Visakhapatnam on Thursday after experiencing engine trouble mid-air.

Although the exact cause of the engine trouble is still under investigation, a bird strike is suspected to be the likely trigger.

The flight, IX 2658, took off from Visakhapatnam with 103 passengers on board when the pilot detected a possible engine malfunction. He immediately requested clearance for an emergency return, PTI reported.

"After departing Vizag, the pilot reported a problem with the engine. So, he asked for an emergency landing and returned to Vizag. The flight landed safely, and passengers were deboarded," Purushottam told PTI, adding that the ai...