India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau along with AIB is conducting a safety probe into the accident.
The flying licence of two Jet Airways pilots has been suspended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for attempting to take off an aircraft from a taxiway parallel to the runway at the Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia last week. “The DGCA has suspended the flying licence of both the pilots involved in runway excursion incident at Riyadh, pending investigation,” a senior DGCA official said on Monday.
The 148 people on board the Mumbai-bound Jet Airways flight escaped unhurt after the aircraft went off the runway following an aborted takeoff on August 3, the airline said.
“The pilots aborted the takeoff after they were informed about a “barrier” on the runway. The aircraft was taxiing at 100 knots. It veered off the runway due to sudden stopping,” an official of the aviation regulator DGCA had said.
Earlier today, the Saudi Aviation Investigation Bureau (AIB), in a press release, said the Jet Airways Boeing B737, VTJFS aircraft heading to Mumbai with 141 passengers and seven crew members overshot the taxiway at the King Khalid International Airport.
“Initial factual information confirmed that the aircraft attempted to take off from taxiway (K) parallel to take off designated runway (R33) while the visibility was high and there was no obstacle of FOD (foreign object) on the taxiway,” it said.
“The aircraft accelerated with full takeoff power and exceeded the taxiway onto an unpaved area, ending up close to the exit of taxiway (GF), north of taxiway (K),” the release added.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau along with AIB is conducting a safety probe into the accident.