Collision of GoAir, private jet averted by seconds at Delhi’s IGI airport

Airport officials said that the GoAir pilot spotted the chartered aircraft crossing its way at the runway while landing

A major disaster was averted at the Indira Gandhi International Airport last week after a GoAir flight, with over 100 passengers aboard, narrowly avoided collision with a chartered plane at the runway.

A major disaster was averted at the Indira Gandhi International Airport after a GoAir flight, with over 100 passengers aboard, narrowly avoided collision with a chartered plane at the runway. (File Photo)

Airport officials said that the GoAir pilot spotted the chartered aircraft crossing its way at the runway while landing.

While the Air Traffic Control alleged that GoAir pilot may not have followed instructions, the airline said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation was probing the incident.

According to officials of the Delhi Air Traffic Control, on May 3, GoAir flight G8124 was preparing to land and had been granted clearance for runway 10 at the Delhi airport.

“While the aircraft with around 100 passengers was at final approach of landing, the pilot spotted a private aircraft crossing the runway from taxiway N to K, which requires going via runway 10. The private aircraft passed seconds before the GoAir flight landed,” said a senior ATC official.

“It seems the pilot did not follow the ATC instructions properly. Such an incident is referred to as ‘runway incursion’, which is when an unauthorised vehicle or aircraft enters runway without prior permission,” the official said.

In a statement issued by GoAir, an airline spokesperson said, “The incident is being investigated by DGCA. We are providing all cooperation to them.”

There have been similar incidents in past where two aircraft came dangerously close to each other at Delhi Airport.

At least three incidents were reported last year.

On August 9, the left wing of an Ethiopian airline plane had hit the right wing of a parked Air India plane while pushing back to take off.

The same year in April, a near-collision was averted when a ready to take-off Air India plane was called back to the bay from runway, to make way for an already landing IndiGo aircraft while in February a Vishakhapatnam bound IndiGo aircraft had entered wrong taxiway where a Jet Airways plane was already parked.