Inquiry begins into accident at Goa Airport

PANAJI: A day after wings of two chartered aircraft brushed each other on ground at Goa airport, Director General of Civil Aviation's Safety Directorate on Monday began an inquiry into the accident.
    
"The two-member team of Safety Directorate has arrived and they are taking statement of various personnel including flight engineers and others," Officials of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) said.
    
The accident occurred when right wing of airbus 330, a British charter operated by Thomas Cook, touched the rear portion of the stationary Jumbo Jet of Trans-Aero Airlines that was about to depart for Moscow.
    
Officials said the British charter was taxing in from runway to parking bay when the incident happened.
    
"Around 300-odd passengers were about to board the trans-aero flight," the officials said.
    
The brushing of chartered flights which was reported last afternoon had ten flights, departing and arriving at Goa Airport, delayed by almost half-an-hour.
    
According to the AAI's Goa Airport Director D Paul Manickam, the incident happened due to congested bays. Sundays are rush days for the airport and it handles 37 flights every day, of which seven are chartered.