With median lights off, flying at Mumbai airport is risky business

Mumbai: Early morning on Wednesday, a Blue Dart plane allegedly took off like a “drunken horse” from the Mumbai airport. The plane damaged 15 edge lights on both sides of the runway, but the pilot did not report the incident to the air traffic control (ATC) until he had landed the plane at Bangalore and noticed four deflated tyres and pieces of jagged metals jutting out of the fuselage.
The ATC officials blamed the pilot, saying that he had mistaken the edge lights of the runway for its central line. The aircraft, a Boeing 757-200, started rolling without aligning itself along the median. First it broke 10 edge lights on its left. Realising his mistake the pilot veered right and broke five edge lights on the right. Finally, he managed to right the plane and took off.
The question is how did the pilot misjudge the edge lights for the central line? It can happen only if the lights on the central line are off. And that is exactly what had happened. So, it will be unfair blaming the pilot alone.
The lights on the central line of the main runway (09-27) have been shut down since June 3. Blame it on the Mithi river desilting work. The lights will remain switched off till October 31, stated the no-tam, a copy of which is with DNA. Lights are out even at the touchdown zone (TDZ) and they will not come on till October.
11/06/10 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Airports Jun 2010, Safety Jun 2010