The Jet Airways flight that skidded off Indore airport runway after touchdown on May 7, was on its second landing attempt, according to the aviation safety regulator’s preliminary assessment of the incident.
According to sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the cockpit crew of the flight with 70 people on board, first tried landing from the other end of the runway. But halfway through approach, the crew aborted and decided to cancel touchdown (described as a go-around in aviation parlance) as a steady drizzle and gloomy weather had reduced the runway visibility.
“The pilots first tried to land using a manual radio navigation system comprising two radio beacons. But when they realised the runway view was not adequately clear, they opted to conduct a go-around,” said a senior DGCA official, requesting anonyamity. The official said in the subsequent attempt, the aircraft picked the other end of the runway and used an automated navigation system called the instrument landing system (ILS). The ILS which consists of a combination of radio signals and high-intensity lighting arrays is normally used by pilots when they are unable to get a clear view of the runway.
A Jet Airways spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the DGCA’s preliminary findings. “The matter is currently under investigation by the DGCA and the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with full cooperation from the airline’s safety team. At present, we are not in receipt of any preliminary report from the DGCA or the AAIB, and in the absence of the same we are unable to comment any further. The airline’s internal investigations are also underway,” said the spokesperson.
{{/usCountry}}A Jet Airways spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the DGCA’s preliminary findings. “The matter is currently under investigation by the DGCA and the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with full cooperation from the airline’s safety team. At present, we are not in receipt of any preliminary report from the DGCA or the AAIB, and in the absence of the same we are unable to comment any further. The airline’s internal investigations are also underway,” said the spokesperson.
{{/usCountry}}The DGCA is yet to decipher the cause of the incident. “We are studying the digital flight data recorder and we will call the crew for questioning after the process is completed,” said another senior official.
The regulator is also likely to question Indore airport officials to get a report of the runway conditions during the incident. “The runway was wet which reduces the requisite friction quotient to stop an aircraft, added the DGCA official adding that the tarmac was also under routine repairs are certain portions of the concrete surface had chipped off by wear and tear.
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