The flight, with 144 passengers on board, had taken off at 5.40 pm. It reported the snag soon after the take-off.
The plane was then asked to turn back but since it was not advisable to attempt a precautionary landing with full fuel on board, the pilots burnt some of it by flying around the airport.
The plane remained airborne for over two and a half hours, finally landing at 8.15 pm.
Amid reports about a possible problem with the landing at the Tiruchirappalli airport, several ambulances were kept on standby.