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The '''Air India Express Flight 1344''' was a [[repatriation]] flight that took place on 7 August 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. It was part of the [[Vande Bharat Mission]] from [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]], to [[Kozhikode]], [[India]] and skidded off the runway at [[Calicut International Airport]] following multiple aborted landing attempts due to heavy [[tailwind]]s. The aircraft proceeded to fall into a {{convert|30-35|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip|adj=on|round=0.5}} [[Canyon|gorge]] killing 16 passengers, and the two pilots. The remaining four [[cabin crew]] and 168 passengers survived, of whom over 100 were injured.
'''Air India Express Flight 1344''' was a [[repatriation]] flight that took place on 7 August 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. It was part of the [[Vande Bharat Mission]] from [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]], to [[Kozhikode]], [[India]] and skidded off the runway at [[Calicut International Airport]] following multiple aborted landing attempts due to heavy [[tailwind]]s. The aircraft proceeded to fall into a {{convert|30-35|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip|adj=on|round=0.5}} [[Canyon|gorge]] killing 16 passengers, and the two pilots. The remaining four [[cabin crew]] and 168 passengers survived, of whom over 100 were injured.


== Background ==
== Background ==

Revision as of 22:07, 9 August 2020

Air India Express Flight 1344
VT-AXH, the aircraft involved in the accident, in 2006.
Accident
Date7 August 2020 (2020-08-07)
SummaryRunway overrun in poor weather conditions, under investigation
SiteRunway 10 at Calicut International Airport, Malappuram district, Kerala, India
11°07′59″N 75°58′14″E / 11.13306°N 75.97056°E / 11.13306; 75.97056
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 737-8HG(SFP)
Aircraft nameIndia Gate
OperatorAir India Express
IATA flight No.IX1344
ICAO flight No.AXB1344
Call signExpress India 1344
RegistrationVT-AXH
Flight originDubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates
DestinationCalicut International Airport, Malappuram district, Kerala, India
Occupants190[1]
Passengers184
Crew6
Fatalities18[1]
Injuries100+[2]
Survivors172
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
1km
0.6miles
Crash site
Crash site
Calicut Airport
Calicut Airport

Air India Express Flight 1344 was a repatriation flight that took place on 7 August 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was part of the Vande Bharat Mission from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Kozhikode, India and skidded off the runway at Calicut International Airport following multiple aborted landing attempts due to heavy tailwinds. The aircraft proceeded to fall into a 9–10.5 m (30–35 ft) gorge killing 16 passengers, and the two pilots. The remaining four cabin crew and 168 passengers survived, of whom over 100 were injured.

Background

Airport

The Calicut International Airport, located in Karipur, Kozhikode, is one of the riskiest and most unsafe airports in India as per Directorate General of Civil Aviation's 2011 data.[3] Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a member of a safety advisory committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in 2011, had called it 'unsafe' and had recommended that it not be used for landing during wet conditions. He had noted that it had a tabletop runway with a down-slope, and inadequate buffer zone or runway end safety areas (RESA) at each end of the runway. Instead of a 240 m (790 ft) buffer zone, it had only 90 m (300 ft). Engineered material arrestor system (also known as arrestor bed or EMAS) is also absent in the airport, which could have averted the accident.[4] Several warnings were ignored by the authorities.[5][6][7] Due to inadequate RESA and other safety issues, many international airlines had stopped landing wide-body aircraft at Calicut.[8]

In July 2019, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued a show-cause notice to the director of the Karipur Airport after various safety lapses like cracks in the runway, water stagnation and excessive rubber deposits were found. Cracks were reported at runway 28 TDZ (touchdown zone) and along with runway C/L (centre/left) marking near runway 10 TDZ.[a] Multiple cracks were also found on airport stands and apron surface. Excessive rubber deposits were found along runway C/L marking of runway 10 TDZ. 1.5 m (5 ft) length of water stagnation was observed between the runway edge and intermediate turn pad on runway 28. The inspection was prompted when another Air India Express had a “tail strike” while landing at the airport from Dammam, Saudi Arabia.[11]

Aircraft and crew

The accident involved a Boeing 737-800 with a short-field performance package, registered as VT-AXH, manufacturer's serial number 36323 and line number 2108.[12] The aircraft first flew on 15 November 2006, and had an 'India Gate' livery on its tail.[13]

The crew consisted of the captain, Deepak Sathe, who had been a pilot with the Indian Air Force before joining Air India; co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar; and four flight attendants.[14][15][16] Sathe had landed successfully at Calicut airport at least 27 times, including more than ten times in 2020.[8]

Flight

The aircraft departed stand E6 and took off from runway 30R at Dubai International Airport on 7 August 2020, at 14:14 GST (7 August 2020, 10:14 UTC) and was scheduled to arrive at Calicut International Airport in Kozhikode, Kerala, at 19:40 IST (7 August 2020, 14:10 UTC), covering a distance of 2,673 kilometres (1,661 miles).[17] It was a repatriation flight, for people who had been stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic, under the Vande Bharat Mission.[18]

Crash

The aircraft reached the airport on schedule. The approach was for runway 28, but two landings were aborted due to tailwind and the aircraft circled, waiting for clearance, before making a landing on runway 10.[b][21][22] Due to the monsoon and floods in Kerala at the time, inclement weather conditions reduced visibility at the time of landing to 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Runway 28 was in use and in the first landing attempt, the pilot could not sight the runway and requested for runway 10. On the second attempt on 2,860 m (9,380 ft) runway 10, the aircraft touched down near taxiway ''C'', which is approximately 1,000 m (3,300 ft) beyond runway threshold.[23][24]

The aircraft failed to stop before the end of the tabletop runway and plunged 9–10.5 m (30–35 ft) into a gorge, splitting the fuselage into two sections upon impact.[21][25] No post-crash fire was reported.[26] Tailwind, rubber deposits and wet runway affecting the braking performance of the aircraft are thought to be the reasons behind the accident.[4] This incident was similar to the Air India Express Flight 812 runway overshooting that happened on 22 May 2010 at Mangalore International Airport, killing 158 people on board.[27]

Victims

A total of 184 passengers,[28][29][30] four cabin crew and two cockpit crew were on board.[31][32] Eighteen people died in the crash (16 passengers and both pilots) and more than 100 people were injured.[2][33]

List of fatalities[1][34]
Type of victims Total on board Survivors Fatalities
Passengers 184 168 16
Pilots 2 0 2
Cabin crew 4 4 0
Total 190 172 18

Aftermath

Rescue

Following the incident, locals from the surrounding Karipur village rushed to the crash site to rescue trapped victims from the aircraft,[35] followed by 40 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel who were guarding the perimeter of airport, Quick Reaction Team and Chief Airport Security Officer. Family members of the CISF personnel living nearby also joined.[36] Police and firefighters were also deployed for the initial rescue operations.[37] All passengers were evacuated in about three hours and taken to various hospitals in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts.[2][29][32] Emergency response team, GO Team[c] and special assistance team of Air India (also known as 'Angels of Air India')[1] from Kochi, Mumbai and Delhi were sent to the accident site.[39][40]

COVID-19 infection

Two passengers on the flight who survived tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving at a hospital after the accident. To check the spread among other passengers and rescue personnel, Central Industrial Security Force and Kerala Health Department asked their personnel and other passengers who were on the flight to undertake testing and quarantine.[41][42][43]

Investigation

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and Flight Safety Departments have reached for investigating the accident.[29][44][45] The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) were recovered the next day and were sent to Delhi for analysis.[46]

Initial findings suggest that at the time of landing, tailwind was around 9 knots (17 km/h). The aircraft was 176 knots (326 km/h) at an altitude of approximately 450 feet (140 m) above the surface of the runway 10, which isn't considered ideal for short finals during bad weather conditions. Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Puri, in a press conference at Kozhikode on 8 August also said that there had been sufficient fuel on board for the aircraft to have flown to a diversion airport.[47]

Compensation

The Government of India and Kerala, each announced an interim relief of ₹10 lakh (equivalent to ₹12 lakh, US$14,000 or €14,000 in 2023) compensation for the families of the deceased above the age of 12 years, ₹5 lakh (equivalent to ₹5.9 lakh, US$6,900 or €7,200 in 2023) for below the age of 12 years, ₹2 lakh (equivalent to ₹2.4 lakh, US$2,800 or €2,900 in 2023) for seriously injured and ₹50,000 (equivalent to ₹59,000, US$690 or €720 in 2023) for those who sustained minor injuries.[48] It was also announced that the medical expenses of the injured would be borne by the state government.[42][49]

See also

Wikinews has related news:

Notes

  1. ^ TDZ – Touch Down Zone v/s touch down point. By definition, the touchdown zone normally extends over the first 3,000 feet (910 m) of runway and the pilot aims to touch down at a point that is well within the limits of the zone, typically around the 1,000 feet (300 m) mark. The zone gives leeway to account for variations in physical conditions such as adverse winds, optical illusions due to day/night/rain/sloping terrain, equipment malfunctions, piloting technique etc. One of the demands of a critical airfield is to land accurately, as close as possible to the planned touch down point.[9][10]
  2. ^ Runway numbers and letters are determined from the approach direction. The runway number is the whole number nearest to one-tenth of the magnetic azimuth of the centerline of the runway, measured clockwise from the magnetic north. For example: 84° is marked as 8; 85° is marked as 8 or 9; 86° is marked as 9. The opposite end of the runway is then marked with the reciprocal heading which is determined by adding or subtracting 180° from the runway heading. For example: opposite to runway 26 is runway 8 (260° − 180° i.e, 80°) or opposite to runway 8 is runway 26 (80° + 180° i.e, 260°).[19][20] Calicut International Airport have one runway as 28, i.e, runway 280° and the opposite runway is runway 10 (280° − 180° i.e, 100°).
  3. ^ To respond to an aviation incident, the airline would "activate GO team." The duty manager at the flight operations centre would deploy an extra 15 to 20 people to travel to the airport where the incident occurred, or, if the incident were airborne, to the airport receiving the plane.[38]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Accident Bulletin". www.airindia.in. Retrieved 8 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c Thiruvananthapuram, P. S. Gopikrishnan Unnithan (7 August 2020). "Kerala: Air India flight with 190 onboard skids off runway in Kozhikode, both pilots among 16 dead". India Today. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Air India Calicut Airport Crash: Kozhikode airport was marked 'risky' by government in 2011". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Air India Express crash: This safety instrument could have prevented Kozhikode tragedy". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  5. ^ Ayyappan, V. (8 August 2020). "Plane crash in Kerala: Runway 10 of Kozhikode airport unsafe, expert warned 9 years ago | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "Civil aviation expert's 2011 warning about 'unsafe' KIA runway fell on DGCA's deaf ears". Hindustan Times. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  7. ^ "'Kozhikode plane crash not an accident but murder': Air safety expert Capt Mohan Ranganathan". Hindustan Times. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  8. ^ a b "As Kerala plane crash theories rise, pilots' body makes an appeal, govt presents defence". Hindustan Times. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Touchdown Zone (TDZ) - SKYbrary Aviation Safety". www.skybrary.aero. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  10. ^ Krishnaswamy, Murali N. (9 August 2020). "What is a 'tabletop airport' and how many are there in India?". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  11. ^ "DGCA issued notice to Kozhikode airport in July 2019 over safety lapses: Official". Hindustan Times. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  12. ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident description Air India Express Flight 1344". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 7 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "VT-AXH | Boeing 737-8HJ | Air India Express | Michael Stappen". JetPhotos. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  14. ^ "Captain Who Died In Kerala Plane Crash Was Decorated Ex-Air Force Pilot". NDTV.com. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  15. ^ "Air India's Dubai-Kozhikode flight splits into two on Karipur runway, pilot among dead". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  16. ^ "Incident involving Air India Express at Calicut - Dark Site Info". www.airindia.in. Retrieved 8 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "Kozhikode flight tried to land once before final skid on runway". The Siasat Daily. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  18. ^ "Air India Express plane skids off runway, killing at least 16 and injuring more than 100". CBS News. Associated Press. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  19. ^ "Section 3 Airport Marking Aids and Signs". Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Airport markings and signs". cfinotebook.net. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  21. ^ a b Sarkar, Sohini; Phillip (7 August 2020). "Air India Express plane with 191 from Dubai skids off Kozhikode runway, pilot killed". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 7 August 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ Kotoky, Anurag; Phillip, Siddharth; Levin, Alan (8 August 2020). "Air India Express Plane Circled Kerala Airport Several Times Before Crash". NDTV.com. Retrieved 8 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ DelhiAugust 8, Press Trust of India New; August 8, 2020UPDATED:; Ist, 2020 13:06. "Kozhikode crash: Air India Express plane touched down near taxiway, 1,000 metres from beginning of runway". India Today. Retrieved 8 August 2020. {{cite web}}: |first3= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ VOCL - CALICUT / DOMESTIC (PDF). Airport Authority of India. 25 May 2017. p. 21. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  25. ^ Lucia, Binding (8 August 2020). "Kerala plane crash: At least 14 dead and several injured as aircraft 'splits in two' at airport". Sky News. Retrieved 8 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ "Kozhikode plane crash: 16 dead, several injured as Air India Express flight IX-1344 bringing Indians home breaks into two while landing – India News , Firstpost". Firstpost. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  27. ^ Ghosh, Poulomi (8 August 2020). "Air India Express Plane Crash: 13-year-old Boeing 737 to be Blamed? Kozhikode Crash Brings Chilling Memories of 2010 Crash". India.com. Retrieved 8 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ "Breaking: Air India Express Boeing 737 Crashes Whilst Landing In Kozhikode". Simple Flying. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  29. ^ a b c Dutta Roy, Divyanshu (8 August 2020). "18 Dead Including Both Pilots After Plane Breaks In Two In Kerala". NDTV. Retrieved 8 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ "കരിപ്പൂരിൽ അപകടത്തിൽപ്പെട്ട വിമാനത്തിലെ യാത്രക്കാരുടെ ലിസ്റ്റ്‌" [Complete list of Karipur plane crash passengers]. MediaOne News (in Malayalam). Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  31. ^ "IX 1344 crashes. Many feared dead". theindependent.in. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  32. ^ a b "Air India jet breaks in two on Kerala runway". BBC News. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  33. ^ John, Tara; Sud, Vedika; Pokharel, Sugam; Gupta, Swati. "Air India plane crashes in Kerala after skidding off the runway". CNN. Retrieved 8 August 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. ^ "IX 1344 incident at Kozhikode – UPDATES – EXPRESSIONS". Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  35. ^ "View: Kerala plane crash response shows how locals play key role in disaster management". The Economic Times. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  36. ^ Sinha, Saurabh (8 August 2020). "Calicut crash: CISF personnel were first responders with their families joining in rescue effort". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ^ "Asian News International". Twitter. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  38. ^ "Airlines Go Teams Operations" (PDF). Aviation emergency response plan. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  39. ^ ""Angels Of Air India", Special Team of Grief Counselors, Flown To Kerala". NDTV. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  40. ^ "Air India Express crash highlights: Kozhikode airport operator addressed issues red-flagged by DGCA, says aviation minister". The Financial Express. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  41. ^ "Kozhikode Air India Express crash: CISF personnel quarantined after passengers test positive for coronavirus". The Indian Express. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  42. ^ a b "Kozhikode Air India Express crash live updates: Centre announces Rs 10 lakh relief for deceased, state follows suit". The Indian Express. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  43. ^ "AI Express passenger killed in crash tests Covid positive, rescue personnel to self quarantine". ThePrint. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ^ Hradecky, Simon. "Accident: India Express B738 at Kozhikode on Aug 7th 2020, overran runway and fell into valley". Aviation Herald. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  45. ^ "Boxes Recovered From Crashed Air India Express Flight In Kerala; Probe Underway". Outlook India. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  46. ^ "Black Boxes Recovered From Crashed Air India Express Flight In Kerala". NDTV. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  47. ^ "Air India Express Plane Landed 1 Km Beyond Runway Threshold At High Speed". NDTV. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  48. ^ "Air India Express @FlyWithIX". Twitter. Retrieved 8 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  49. ^ "Air India Express plane crash latest updates: Kerala announces Rs 10 lakh compensation to kin of flight crash victims; Digital Flight Data Recorder recovered from aircraft". CNBC TV 18. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
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