New Delhi: Air India Express flight between Dubai and Kozhikode crashed at Kozhikode airport after it overshot the runway due to heavy rains at the destination airport in the evening today.
The flight had about 174 passengers, 10 Infants and crew – that included 2 pilots and 5 cabin crew members.
The DGCA said that 16 people , including the two pilots, have died in the crash.
Pilots and officials, ET got in touch with, said that this could be a case, where heavy rains would have led to braking difficult upon landing on a slippery runway.
“While the reasons for the crash will only come after the inquiry, it seems the plane either would have touchdown very fast and brakes would not have effectively worked upon landing due to rains or the flight would have touched the runway much ahead of the touchdown point and braking would not have been able to stop the aircraft due to heavy rains, as braking is not that effective after rains,” said a senior pilot, who did not want to be identified.
Another said that the plane is not an old plane and the mechanical problem would have been unlikely.
“The plane is 2005-06 make and is finely maintained plane. There is unlikely that the machine failure would have been the reason for the crash,” said another pilot, who has flown the same plane sometime back.
Some say that the accident is similar to an Air India Express plane crash at Mangalore airport, where the plane overshoot the runway and fell off the runway and caught fire leading to 158 deaths and only 8 survivors. Both Mangalore and Kozhikode are table top runways.
Meanwhile, rescue operations at the site and being overseen by the state government. “Have instructed Police and Fire Force to take urgent action in the wake of the plane crash at the Kozhikode International airport (CCJ) in Karipur. Have also directed the officials to make necessary arrangements for rescue and medical support,” Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted today.