NEW DELHI:
Jet Airways has grounded two pilots for a "tail strike" in
Thailand last week. The incident reportedly happened when the airline's
Boeing 737 was taking off from Bangkok for Delhi with over 160 people on board.
During take off, the plane's rear section of fuselage (main body of aircraft) hit the runway.
Confirming this, a Jet spokesman said: "Jet flight 9W 65 of January 19, 2018, from Bangkok to Delhi experienced a tailstrike. The Boeing 737-800 with eight crew and 155 guests, landed safely at Delhi. The aircraft was inspected and cleared for operations by the Jet Airways' engineering and safety team." "The airline has reported the event to the regulatory authorities and is also investigating the matter. As a standard practice, the crew of the flight have been placed off active duty to assist with the investigations. At Jet Airways, safety of our guests and crew is of paramount importance," he added.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing this incident. While tail strikes can happen for a number of reasons, human error, say experienced pilots, is the most common cause.
Airlines globally stress on crew training as the most effective way of preventing this phenomenon. "Tail strike can led to significant damage to rear fuselage, repairing which is both expensive and prolonged exercise.
Tail strike during landing can lead to more damage than the same thing happening during take off," said a senior airline pilot.
