Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri visited the crash site today
Kozhikode:
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the Air India Express plane, which crashed while trying to land amid heavy rain on a table runway in Kozhikode Airport in Kerala late last night was carrying fuel to attempt a bypass landing elsewhere.
Mr Puri also called for patience and cautioned against speculation as investigations into the tragic crash are completed, acknowledging that there were several questions that needed to be answered.
“I asked these questions myself. I asked my colleague, CMD of Air India Express, how much fuel did he (the pilot) have? I have an answer. There was fuel. problem is … let’s wait for the investigation results, ”he said.
“The media is full of speculation – that he made two attempts to land … or whether it was windy or rainy. First, let’s try to correct the facts. Let the facts come out,” added the Minister of Aviation.
Mr Puri’s comment comes as sources from the national aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) told GalacticGaming the plane landed 1 km down the runway.
Speaking to the media after visiting the crash site today, Mr. Puri also offered his “sincere condolences” to the families of the 18 people who died and announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those killed, Rs 2 lakh for seriously injured and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries.
“My heart goes out to the families and friends of the 18 people who lost their lives in the plane crash on Flight IX-1344 @FlyWithIX in Kozhikode last night, and (I) offer my sincere condolences,” Mr. Puri, who hit town Saturday afternoon, tweeted.
My heart goes out to the families and friends of the 18 people who lost their lives in an air crash involving @FlyWithIX Flight IX-1344 in Kozhikode last night and offer my sincere condolences.
The reasons for the accident are currently under investigation. pic.twitter.com/awEGpU9EmK
– Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 8, 2020
An investigation has been ordered into the accident, added the minister.
Earlier today, the black box – the cockpit data and voice recorders – was recovered from the crash site. These will be essential in helping investigators understand what happened to Flight IX-1344.
Mr Puri and his cabinet colleague V Muraleedharan, the little foreign minister, played down the role of the Kozhikode trail in the accident.
The airport has a tabletop runway, which is built on top of a plateau or hill, with one or both ends adjacent to a steep elevation that falls into a gorge. Such an airport presents a serious challenge to pilots when landing. The conditions at the time of flight IX-1344’s landing – heavy monsoon rains made the runway surface slippery – presented an additional challenge.
“The aircraft was commanded and operated by one of our most experienced and distinguished commanders – Deepak Sathe. In fact, it had landed at this airfield up to 27 times, including this year,” Mr. Puri.
Wing Commander Sathe was a former decorated Air Force fighter pilot before moving to commercial aviation with Air India and Air India Express. The co-pilot, Captain Akhilesh Kumar, got married last year.
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At least 18 people killed and 127 injured after crash at Kozhikode airport in Kerala
Mr Muraleedharan told GalacticGaming that around 100 flights have landed on the same runway, without incident, since the Vande Bharat mission’s flight operations began in May to bring back Indians stranded abroad by the coronavirus lockdown .
“The airport authorities informed me that there was heavy rain and that the first attempt to land was unsuccessful. When it landed on the second attempt, the plane skidded to the left and it rolled over. crashed into the side and shattered into pieces, ”he explained.
Fortunately, an even more serious disaster was averted as the crashed plane did not catch fire – a point made by Mr Puri. “He was fortunate that unlike Mangaluru, where there was a fire, timely measures (were taken to) prevent this in this case,” he said.
In 2010, another Air India Express flight crashed at Karnataka’s Mangaluru International Airport under similar circumstances, killing 158 people.
Flight IX-1344, a Vande Bharat mission flight repatriating Indians stranded abroad due to the lockdown, had 184 people, including cabin crew, on board as it arrived from Dubai.
Amid heavy monsoon rains, the flight circled around Kozhikode Airport and made two attempts to land. On its last attempt, the aircraft skidded off the rain-soaked surface, passed the table runway, and rolled down a valley at 7:41 p.m.
Concerns had been raised about the condition of the runway at Kozhikode Airport, an aviation expert pointed out in a 2011 report saying: “the runway has a steep downward slope (and) no areas of security”.
Helpline: Air India Express – 1800 2222 71, Airport Control Room – 0483 2719493, Malappuram Collectorate – 0483 2736320, Kozhikode Collectorate – 0495 2376901