Air India Kochi-Mumbai flight veers off runway amid rainfall; grounded

The airport said minor damage was found on runway 09/27, so to maintain operations, secondary runway 14/32 has been activated.

An Air India flight from Kochi veered off the main runway while landing in heavy rain at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Monday morning. While no passengers or crew were injured, the incident led to grounding of the aircraft.

Flight AI2744, operating from Kochi to Mumbai on 21 July 2025, experienced heavy rain during landing, resulting in a runway excursion after touchdown. (Pic used for representation) (Reuters file)

A statement from CSMIA read, “An incoming aircraft from Kochi experienced a runway excursion at..Mumbai at 09.27 hours on 21 July 2025... All passengers and crew are safe.”

The airport also stated, “ There are minor damages reported to the airport’s primary runway - 09/27. In order to ensure continuity of operations, the Secondary Runway 14/32 - has been activated.."

The incident took place on runway 27 causing disruption in flight operations, airport officials said.

According to officials, three tyres of the aircraft burst, and the engine was also damaged during the incident. “The engine sucked up a lot of mud and grass after getting into the mud,” one of the officials said. “Runway 27 was unavailable for two and a half hours as runway signages and edge lights were damaged due to the incident,” the official said.

“ A lot of engine cowling ( protective outer covering of an aircraft’s engine that reduces drag and shields the engine components) was found near the runway,” he added.

The Air India spokesperson said that the aircraft was grounded post the incident.

“Flight AI2744, operating from Kochi to Mumbai on 21 July 2025, experienced heavy rain during landing, resulting in a runway excursion after touchdown. The aircraft taxied safely to the gate and all passengers and crew members have since disembarked. The aircraft has been grounded for checks…,” the airline spokesperson said.

“Aircraft had veered 16 to 17m off the runway after landing near touchdown zone and then came back safely and taxied normally to the parking stand,” an airport official requesting anonymity said.

“The A320 aircraft veered off to the right of the runway 27, on N1 taxiway,” he added.

A second official in the know of the matter said, “The pilot in command who was also the pilot flying, is a veteran from Indian Airlines and has been an A320 examiner. He is nearing his retirement.”

“The DGCA officials who reached the spot minutes after the incident took place, are investigating the cause of the incident,” he added.

A third official said that the runway, due to torrential rains in Mumbai, was later reported to be contaminated. To be sure, a runway is said to be contaminated when water is seen or reported. “This is reported to the air traffic control (ATC) by the airport ground staff which then reports about it to the pilots. However, in this case, runway contamination was reported only after the aircraft veered off,” he said.

“When landing in heavy rain, visibility is reduced, which makes manual landings challenging. Poor weather conditions can affect the flare and touchdown, and the aircraft might land with a slight drift (a situation when an aircraft moves slightly sideways instead of straight while landing, usually due to crosswinds or wet runway conditions). There is also a risk of aquaplaning, where the aircraft rides on a thin layer of water, reducing wheel traction. The aquaplaning speed is a function of tyre pressure of the wheels. After touchdown, deceleration devices such as thrust reversers, spoilers, and wheel brakes are used to slow the aircraft. However, if the wheels lock up or aquaplaning occurs, the aircraft continues to slide on the water film, reducing braking effectiveness,” said Capt. Sharath Panicker, a former Dreamliner pilot.

“The ATC alerted the DGCA about the incident who reached the spot to investigate the matter. The aviation regulator cleared the runway for operations only after performing a friction test of the runway,” a fourth official said.

“While the cause of the incident will only be known at a later stage, it is unusual for an aircraft to veer off the runway immediately after touch down,” the official concluded, without giving further details.