A possible accident was averted when alert airport ground staff detected smoke and sparks flying from an engine of an Allahabad-bound passenger aircraft as it prepared to take off from Kanpur.

The Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad IC 7801 flight, with 22 passengers on board, was aborted at the last moment following the technical malfunction in the aircraft at the Chakeri airport on Thursday, airport manager Rajeesh Sood told PTI, adding all passengers de-boarded safely.

"Smoke is formed when extra fuel is injected into the plane's engine when it is switched on. Engineers promptly informed the pilot when they noticed the problem in the plane's engine as it prepared for its flight," Sood said.

The crew and engineers were advised not to take-off before a detail check. The flight was then aborted at the airport, he added.

Sources have said that a team from Delhi [Images] will arrive for a detailed check of the aircraft.

All the passengers were provided cab service to Allahabad later in the evening.