KOCHI: The passengers of an Air-India flight from Kochi to Agatti had a close shave when the aircraft skidded off the runway at Agatti airport in Lakshadweep islands on Friday.All the 20 passengers and the four crew members on board the flight are safe, said the officials. The passengers and the crew were immediately evacuated.The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry into the incident and suspended the licences of the two pilots.According to officials, the incident happened around 11.15 am. The flight AI 9501 operating in the Chennai-Kochi-Agatti sector, which took off from Kochi at 10.15 am was on its way to Agatti island.“The pilots reported cross winds and while landing the aircraft skidded off the runway,” the officials said. Bad climatic conditions are said to be prime reason for the aircraft skidding off the runway."We have ordered an inquiry into the incident. Also we have suspended the licences of both the pilots. Most importantly, we have removed the aircraft from the runway. It was blocking other aircraft at the air strip,” said Director-General of Civil Aviation E K Bharat Bhooshan.The officials at the Agatti airport said that the flight which is an ATR 42 aircraft landed outside after skidding off the runway to a muddy place.The officials said necessary air safety of the aircraft would be carried out before flying again, the officials said. The commander and co-pilot of the aircraft were Rinu Shekhawat and C Sreenivasa Rao respectively.In the wake of the incident, which occurred an year after the Mangalore air mishap, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation has ordered a probe into the incident.On May 22, 2010 a Dubai-Mangalore Air India Express flight crashed killing 158 people.The incident occurred while the aircraft was landing. The aircraft overshoot the runway and fell over a cliff and caught fire. It was the third deadliest aviation mishap in the country.
Comments
0 comment