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AI A320 incident probe reveals damage to jet, airport infrastructure
The runway surface was wet, though friction tests carried out both before and after the incident indicated values within limits. the report said
An Air India Airbus A320 with 182 people on board sustained damage after veering off the runway while landing at Mumbai airport in heavy rain on July 21, before recovering to the centreline and taxiing to the bay, a preliminary investigation report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) stated.
The AAIB, which is probing the incident, also said that Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) data of the aircraft were being analysed, along with the tech log, pre-departure report (PDR), weather data and damage reports.
The report released on Monday evening said that even while no person on board was injured, the aircraft and airport infrastructure suffered damage.
The incident took place after the flight departed Cochin at 7.30am with a take-off weight of 67.7 tonnes and 8,500kg of fuel on board.
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According to the preliminary report, the aircraft, operating as AI 2744 from Cochin, touched down on the right edge of Runway 27 at 9.27 am and rolled into the grassy shoulder and continued along the grass before rejoining the paved surface near the runway intersection. Despite the excursion, the aircraft later taxied under its own power to the bay and parked normally.
The investigators noted that weather conditions were poor at the time of landing. Visibility was reported at 1,200 metres with thunderstorms and rain over the airfield. Meteorological data confirmed scattered clouds at low levels and cumulonimbus activity. The runway surface was wet, though friction tests carried out both before and after the incident indicated values within limits, the report stated.
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The initial assessment revealed main wheels 2, 3, and 4 were found deflated.
Besides this, the engine 2’s cowling was damaged, with foreign objects ingested into its bypass section, grass was lodged in both main and nose landing gears, as well as in the belly area of the aircraft and that the aft cargo panel fairing was also damaged, the reports said.
The investigators also specified in the report that the runway excursion caused collateral damage at the airport: three runway edge lights, two taxiway lights and two exit signboards, were damaged and had to be repaired before the runway was reopened.
The flight was commanded by a 63-year-old captain holding an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) with over 24,800 hours of flying experience, including more than 22,300 on the A320 type. The co-pilot, a 30-year-old first officer with a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), had logged about 1,200 hours of total flying, with 888 hours on the A320.
The report stated that both pilots had valid medical clearances and licences, and their duty times complied with flight duty time limitations. Breath-analyser (alcohol) tests conducted before and after the flights were found to be negative.
The AAIB stated that the investigators have collected the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) for detailed analysis and that the statements from the crew and air traffic controllers have been recorded, and technical documents, weather data and damage reports are under review.
The agency, however clarified, that the findings are preliminary and subject to change. “The bureau’s mandate is to identify causes and contributing factors to prevent future accidents and incidents, not to apportion blame,” it stated.
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