Pilot spots giant wave off TN

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) tipped off the Tamil Nadu government after an Air India Express pilot flying over the Bay of Bengal noticed an "unusually big wave" in the sea at 11.30 am on Thursday (April 24). The pilot, Capt. J. Banda, flying an aircraft from Singapore to Trichy, noticed the wave when the aircraft (Flight IX-681) was 50 nautical miles from the Tamil Nadu coast. The pilot later informed the air traffic control (ATC) authorities in Chennai about what he saw. Air India Express is the low-cost carrier of state-owned airline Air India and operates to nearby overseas destinations such as West Asia, Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka.
According to the pilot, the wave was running in a direction from north to south and parallel to the Tamil Nadu coastline. The pilot made the observation when the aircraft was at an altitude of 16,000 feet.
The Tamil Nadu government was alerted after its chief secretary was informed of the observation by the AAI from Chennai through a written communication. Union civil aviation secretary Ashok Chawla was also informed of the development and the Tamil Nadu government is believed to be keeping a close watch on the situation in view of the devastating tsunami that had struck the state over three years ago.
25/04/08 Sridhar Kumaraswami/Howrah News Service

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