Over 100 passengers of a Mumbai-Bangalore SpiceJet flight had a narrow escape on Tuesday evening when the aircraft had a tumultuous landing at Bangalore Airport.
NEW DELHI: Over 100 passengers of a Mumbai-Bangalore SpiceJet flight had a narrow escape on Tuesday evening when the aircraft had a tumultuous landing at Bangalore Airport.
On touchdown, the aircraft skidded and its tail got damaged, triggering panic among passengers and the crew, even as it cruised at high speed on runway.
The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a probe into the “serious air safety lapse”. DGCA sources said the pilot had been taken off flying duties and will undergo a special simulator training course before resuming work.
SpiceJet chief commercial official Samyukth Sridhran said: “The incident was noticed after the passengers had disembarked. I will not comment on the causes of the accident as internal probe is yet to get over.” He claimed there was no major damage to the aircraft.
Experts blamed the accident on the pilot’s sloppy approach. ”It is purely an error on the part of the pilot who failed to get the approach angle right while landing,” former DGCA HS Khola said.
The flight was given clearance for landing by the control tower and as soon as its rear wheels touched ground, the tail too touched runway, shaking the aircraft. Preliminary investigation by the DGCA has revealed the pilot erred in adjusting the approach angle of the aircraft. “The angle of the aircraft with respect to the runway is very crucial for smooth landing. Any deviation, such as the nose of the aircraft going up, results in accidents,” a DGCA official said.
DGCA records suggest tail-skids are rare but this year, two such incidents have occurred. On August 6, a Kingfisher flight from Udaipur too had a similar rough landing in Delhi. Before its rear wheels touch runway, its tail hit it with a huge thud.
k_yogesh@dnaindia.net
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