Plane accident averted

Lucknow: It was close shave for 105 Lucknow bound passengers and seven crew members on board of IT 3169 (Mumbai- Lucknow- Mumbai) Kingfisher flight at Amausi airport on Wednesday when the aircraft landed in a closed taxi area at 9.56 am. Kingfisher flight Airbus 320 from Mumbai to Lucknow had to be stopped all of a sudden with a thud and all the passengers inside fell on each other when the pilot Joe found that he has landed on the wrong taxiway at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport.
Sources said the director general of civil aviation (DGCA) had ordered an inquiry into the incident as to how the pilot landed on a taxiway that was closed for repairs for the last one week.
In the meantime blame game has already started. While the airlines tried to defend the pilot the Airport Authority of India has laid blame at the doors of the pilot.
Director airport Atul Dixit, who was in Delhi, said that all the passengers were safe. He said, "it was fault of pilot which almost brought Lucknow airport to a stop by landing the flight on the taxiway which was under repair. Taxi area was clsoed for repair from March 30 to April 16. The AAI has put a proper signage on display on the runway. Not only this the notices regarding the closure of the taxi area were served internationally."
A passenger on board SK Singh said, "We were preparing for landing at airport but the aircraft stopped all of a sudden with a huge noise, we were told to get out from the aircraft. We were shocked and in panic when we were told that the aircraft had made landing on a strip which was under repair."
06/04/11 Anupam Srivastava/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Airports Apr 2011, Kingfisher Apr 2011, Safety Apr 2011