Faulty taxiway caused Delhi airport mishap or pilot error?

Tuesday's accident at Delhi airport that resulted in a small aircraft skidding off a taxiway, after its nose wheel collapsed, could have been the result of a faulty surface.

Tuesday's accident at Delhi airport that resulted in a small aircraft skidding off a taxiway, after its nose wheel collapsed, could have been the result of a faulty surface.

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The incident happened at Indira Gandhi International Airport at 3.54pm on Tuesday when the eight-seater Cessna Citation 560XL aircraft, which is used for chartered flights, was undergoing maintenance at the isolated taxiway.

The aircraft engine was being tested through a high power run up when suddenly its nose wheel collapsed. The aircraft skidded off the taxiway onto the kutcha road next to it and got stuck.

Though there weren't any passengers in the aircraft as it was undergoing maintenance, two connecting taxiways had to be closed while the severely damaged aircraft was being removed from the road, sources at the airport said. The two taxiways could only be opened late at night.

Civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing the incident. "As of now, no technical fault has been detected in the aircraft. It is likely that the surface of the taxiway was uneven or had small pits or potholes that led to the accident," an official said.

"The role of the pilot is also being looked into and the possibility of human error hasn't been ruled out," he added.

"All the runways and taxiways at the IGI Airport are well maintained and are of international standard. There are no potholes or uneven surfaces on any of them," claimed a senior airport official, who didn't wish to be named.

"The aircraft ran off the taxiway and got damaged because the pilot couldn't manoeuvre it while taking a turn," he added.

The private airport operator Delhi International Airport Ltd. refused to comment on the issue as the incident is being investigated by the DGCA.