Hurtling down the runway in Pune at a speed of more than 222 kilometres per hour this morning, pilots of an Air India aircraft noticed a jeep and a man in their way, prompting them to carry out a premature and emergency takeoff. Though a major catastrophe was averted, this resulted in the tail striking the surface of the runway, damaging the fuselage. The Airbus A-321 aircraft carried on with its flight to Delhi where it landed safely. The incident is now being investigated by the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) The Pune Airport is also an Indian Air Force airfield, like several other airports in the country, where armed forces personnel carry out routine activity. The DGCA has asked the Indian Air Force to preserve the recording of Air Traffic Control.
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- Published: February 15, 2020 15:29
New Delhi: An Air India aircraft was damaged when the pilot tried to lift the plane to dodge a jeep and a man in their way. Aircraft was travelling at a speed of more than 222 kilometres per hour at that moment.
The incident occurred when the A321 aircraft of the national carrier took off from Pune airport on Saturday morning. However, despite the incident, it landed at the Delhi airport safely, they said.
The aircraft that was scheduled to operate AI 825 to Srinagar was observed to have certain marks towards the empennage (Tail) area. The aircraft has been withdrawn for detailed investigation.
Dhananjay Kumar, Spokesperson, Air India: The aircraft that was scheduled to operate AI 825 to Srinagar was observed to have certain marks towards the empennage (Tail) area. The aircraft has been withdrawn for detailed investigation. pic.twitter.com/is21J1niGn
— ANI (@ANI) February 15, 2020
Air India has been advised to remove the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) for its analysis, the official added.