AI flight makes hard landing at Mangalore airport

Two years after an Air India aircraft overshot the runway and killed 158 passengers, another harrowing time was reported at the Mangalore airport after an Air India flight arriving from Dubai made a hard landing.

“The aircraft bounced after landing, giving us a chill in our spines” said a passenger. The matter was hushed up by the airliner, but the airport authorities informed the Director General of Civil Aviation who is enquiring into the situation that led to the near-horrific landing.

According to sources, the pilot landed the aircraft 30 metres outside the landing threshold and on the loose tarmac at the beginning of the runway. As a result, the aircraft’s hind tyres were damaged.

When airport officials went for a routine check of the runway after the first flight of the day landed, they found burnt tyre marks on the loose tarmac. The flight’s crew did not tell the AAI officials but the flight engineer and the pilot were seen frantically checking the tyres. On inquiry, the crew told AAI officials the severe visibility problems near the landing threshold that forced the pilot to touch down 30 metres outside the threshold, causing the aircraft to bounce.

The AAI officials were quick to report to DGCA about the incident and the DGCA wasted no time to ask the crew to stay put until the aircraft was inspected thoroughly by the DGCA officials.