India-bound Malaysia Airlines flight return back after defect

An India-bound Malaysia Airlines flight was today forced to turn back due to an auto-pilot defect, landing safely here, said the loss-making carrier already hit by the twin tragedies this year.

Flight MH198 from Kuala Lumpur to Hyderabad departed at 10.20pm last night but the Boeing 737-800 turned back due to an auto-pilot defect and landed safely at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 2.01am today, it said in a statement.

"The defect did not have any impact on the safety of the aircraft or passengers, however, as a precautionary measure, the operating Captain decided to turn back," the airline said.

It refuted reports on social media that the aircraft caught fire and sought public's cooperation to "refrain from making speculations" to avoid discomfort among air travellers.

Initial reports had said that the plane had to make an emergency landing due to "burning fuel".

The airline said that upon arrival, passengers and crew disembarked safely and were given accommodation at nearby hotels.

The flight, rescheduled to operate as MH198D, left Kuala Lumpur for Hyderabad at 12.20 pm today.

The airline said it regretted the disruption to its guests' travel plans but reiterated that safety of its passengers was its priority. Malaysia Airlines is suffering loss after witnessing a difficult year.

Its Flight MH370 with 239 people aboard lost contact on March 8. No trace of any wreckage has been found so far.

Another flight MH17 was shot down by a missile over eastern Ukraine on July 17, killing all 289 people aboard. In April, a Bangalore-bound Malaysia Airlines plane with 166 people on board turned back shortly after takeoff due to problem in its landing gear.