An Air India plane, carrying 54 passengers, today skidded off the runway after a tyre burst but no one was injured in the incident, airline sources said.
An Air India plane with 54 passengers and five crew members on board skidded off the runway today after a tyre burst while landing in rain but all are safe.
The nosewheel of the Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-700 (AI-9801) got stuck in the mud when the 70-seater plane skidded and came to a screeching halt in a muddy area after its tyres burst during touchdown at the IAF-controlled Chakeri airport, Air India sources said in Kanpur.
No one was injured in the incident, the sources said.
The flight, launched about a month ago, operates from Delhi to Kolkata via Kanpur.
The first information about the incident was given by noted author Chetan Bhagat, who was on the plane, in his tweet.
"Landed in Kanpur on AI. Emergency landing as plane skidded off runway into wet mud. Lucky save. Evacuations on now. Thank u god," Bhagat tweeted immediately after the rough landing.
Bhagat tweeted again a little later: "The plane wheels are barely visible, dug deep into mud. Everyone's out now. Rattled but safe. Thanks all for ur concern."
The airline sources said the runway, had a low width.
The aircraft was soon pulled back to the terminal building. While 52 of the 54 passengers were travelling to Kanpur, the rest of them were sent to Lucknow for their onward journey, the sources said.
Airport manager AK Sarin said it was raining when the plane landed and its front tyres got stuck in the mud.
"The flight will not be sent to Kolkata and a team of technicians will be inspecting the plane," he said.
Airport PRO Prashant Shukla said all passengers bound for Kolkata have been sent to Lucknow by road and from there they will be put on a flight bound for the eastern metropolis.
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