The Air India plane, which was bringing back Indian peoples under the Vande Bharat Abhiyan, fell into the accident at Kozhikode Airport in Kerala. The runway was flooded due to heavy rains and the aircraft slipped into a ditch about 50 feet deep at the time of landing. The accident killed 17 people, including both pilots. A total of 190 people were on board the aircraft. 174 people have been rescued. Injured more than 100 in the accident. The condition of many remains critical. PM Modi spoke to Kerala Chief Minister P. Vijayan and assured him of all possible help.
The Bifurcated plane
Air India Express has said in its statement that the Boeing 737 aircraft was coming to Calicut from Dubai. The crash occurred at 7:41 pm on the tabletop runway number 10 of Karipur Airport in Kozhikode on Friday evening and broke into two pieces. The first part suffered more damage.
What happened
1- It was raining during the landing and the runway was flooded
2- Lights were also low due to rain, which became the reason for the accident
3- The aircraft proceeded after finishing the runway and fell into the ditch
4 – The plane broke into two pieces, causing further damage to the next part
5- The plane did not fire, saving a large number of lives
… the fire would not have been otherwise frightening
Thankfully, there was no fire in the plane which saved a large number of lives. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials said that although the plane did not fire luckily after the accident, otherwise there could have been more loss of life and property. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a detailed investigation into the accident. The front of the aircraft has suffered extensive damage.
How many passengers on the plane?
A total of 191 people were on board the Air India Express. These include 174 passengers, 10 newborns, two pilots and five crew members.
One and a half hours of hard work and 174 people saved
Air India Express has issued a statement saying that both pilot Captain Deepak Sathe and co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar have died in the accident. Collector of Malappuram district Gopalakrishnan said that the injured have been admitted to various hospitals in Kozhikode and Mallapuram. All the passengers and luggage were evacuated from the aircraft in the rescue work which lasted for one and a half hours. 174 people have been rescued.
Pilot Sathe was former Air Force Wing Commander
Captain Deepak Vasant Sathe, the pilot who lost his life in the accident, was a former wing commander of the Indian Air Force. He was an alumnus of the National Defense Academy (NDA). He was also awarded the President’s Medal. He passed the Air Force Academy in June 1981 with the Sword of Honor. Deepak joined Air India Commercial Services after his Air Force job. Deepak Sathe’s father is a brigadier in the army. He has lost his second son. His first son Kargil was martyred in the war.
Helpline number released
Several helpline numbers have been issued in India, Dubai and Sharjah to provide information to the families of the passengers aboard the Air India Express. The Embassy of India has released +97156 543903, +971543090572, +971543090571, +971543090575 in Dubai. The helpline number for Sharjah is +97165970303 while the Ministry of External Affairs has issued helpline numbers 1800 118 797, +91 11 23012113, +91 11 23014104, +91 11 23017905 and +91 11 23018158, which will work 24 hours.
Low light is also the reason for the accident
Due to rain, low light also became a reason for the accident. In a statement issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), it was raining heavily at the landing of the aircraft on runway number 10 of Karipur Airport in Kozhikode. Visibility was around 2000 meters due to heavy rain. Due to heavy rains, the aircraft (Air India flight, IX-1344) slipped ahead of the runway and fell into the valley and split into two.
AAIB will investigate the accident
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the incident. Puri tweeted that I am very distressed in the air crash in Kozhikode. Every effort is being made to help the passengers.
Relief and rescue operations complete
The Chief Minister of Kerala, Vijayan, quoted the Malappuram Collector as saying that relief and rescue operations have been completed at the scene. All the injured in the plane have been admitted to various hospitals in Malappuram and Kozhikode. Chief Minister Vijayan had deployed state minister AC Moideen to coordinate the relief operations. An IG level officer was also deployed to monitor the relief work. Fire and NDRF personnel from Kozhikode and Mallappuram districts were involved in relief and rescue operations.
What is tabletop runway
Another reason for the accident is believed to be the geographical location of the runway at Kozhikode. This is the runway tabletop. This means that the airstrip is located in an elevation area around which there is a gorge. Its shape is like a table. The tabletop does not have much further space after the runway is over. In such a situation, the risk of overtaking the aircraft while landing on the runway increases. The accident also happened like this.
Landing on tabletop runway risky
Tabletop runways are quite risky. A lot of caution is required during landing and flight, due to which the pilot also needs to be very efficient. Most such runways are built on plateaus or mountain tops. In addition to Kozhikode, there are tabletop runways in Mangaluru (Karnataka) and Mizoram.
