Air India Express Flight 1344

On 7 August 2020, Air India Express Flight 1344 was a scheduled international flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Kozhikode, India, landing at Calicut International Airport. The flight crew made multiple aborted landing attempts due to heavy rain and tailwinds. The aircraft then touched down on runway 10, but skidded off the end of the runway and fell into a 9–10.5 m (30–35 ft) gorge, killing 16 passengers and both pilots. The four cabin crew members and 168 passengers survived, of whom over 100 were injured.[2].

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′13″E
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, Kerala, India
Occupants190[1]
Passengers184
Crew6
Fatalities18[1]
Injuries100+[2]
Survivors172

As part of the Vande Bharat Mission, the flight was repatriating Indian nationals stranded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

Airport

Calicut International Airport, in Karipur, Kozhikode, is one of the most dangerous airports in India according to India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).[3] The DGCA designated Calicut Airport as a "critical airfield", which means that only the captain (and not the first officer) can perform takeoffs and landings there.[4] The Airports Authority of India says that the airport is licensed for use in all weather conditions under instrument flight rules, but that the pilots operating flights to and from Calicut Airport (both day and night) should have sufficient flying hours to handle the dangerous conditions.[5]

IndiGo flight 6E 7129 from Bengaluru operated by a ATR72-600 made an approach from the east, stopped descending at 2,200 ft, climbed to 3,800 ft, and made several loops above the airport before finally making an approach from the west at 5:58PM, less than 2 hours before the crash.[6]

Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a member of a safety advisory committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, said in 2011 that Calicut Airport is "unsafe". He recommended that Calicut Airport not be used for landing during wet weather. He observed that the airport had a tabletop runway with a down-slope and had inadequate "buffer zones", referring to the runway end safety areas at both ends of the runway. Instead of the recommended 240 m (790 ft) safety area, it had only 90 m (300 ft). The width of runway 10 is only half of minimum width that existing regulations require. Calicut Airport also lacked an engineered materials arrestor system, which could have prevented the accident.[7] Calicut Airport's management ignored several warnings about the dangerous conditions at Calicut Airport.[8][9][10] Many international airlines stopped landing wide-body aircraft at Calicut because of the dangerous conditions.[11][12]

In July 2019, the DGCA issued a show-cause notice to the director of Calicut 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.[lower-alpha 1] 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. A 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 tailstrike while landing at the airport.[15]

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.[16] The aircraft that first flew on 15 November 2006, was operated by Air India Express, and had a tail livery with 'India Gate' on the left and 'Gateway of India' on the right.[17] The crew consisted of Captain Deepak Sathe, co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar; and four flight attendants.[18][19][20] Sathe had landed successfully at Calicut airport at least 27 times, including more than ten times in 2020.[11] He had 10,000 hours of flying experience on the Boeing 737, including 6,662 as commander.[21] The chief minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, announced a state funeral for Sathe.[22]

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 mi).[23] It was a repatriation flight, for people who had been stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic, under the Vande Bharat Mission.[24]

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.[lower-alpha 2][27][28] At around 19:37 IST (14:07 UTC), they were given clearance to land on runway 10.[12] 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.[29][30] 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.[27][31] The accident site was around 3 km (9,800 ft) from the airport terminal.[32] No post-crash fire was reported.[33] It was suggested the crew shut off the engines on landing, which may have saved lives by preventing a fire.[34] According to a CISF officer, the aircraft did not slide into the gorge. It took off from the cliff and then collapsed.[32]

The accident was similar to Air India Express Flight 812 which also overran the runway 10 years earlier at Mangalore International Airport killing 158 people on board.[35]

Victims

A total of 184 passengers, four cabin crew and two cockpit crew were on board, all Indian.[36][37][38] Eighteen people died in the crash (16 passengers and both pilots) and more than 100 people were injured.[2][39][40] As of August 14, 92 passengers who were injured had been released from the hospital.[41]

List of fatalities[1][42]
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 and response

Following the incident, local people from the surrounding Karipur village rushed to the crash site to rescue trapped victims from the aircraft,[43] 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.[44] Police and firefighters were also deployed for the initial rescue operations.[45] All passengers were evacuated in about three hours and taken to various hospitals in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts.[2][40][38] Emergency response team, GO Team[lower-alpha 3] and special assistance team of Air India (officially known as 'Angels of Air India')[1] from Kochi, Mumbai and Delhi were sent to the accident site.[47][48] Three CISF officers were awarded with Director General commendation disc for their rescue efforts after the mishap.[49][50] The accident is predicted to cost the insurers and their reinsurers ₹375 crore (US$53 million), that includes aircraft or hull and liability for third party and passengers. It is around 90 per cent of the insured value and Air India will recover this amount since the aircraft has been totally damaged. The insurer is an Indian insurance consortium led by New India Assurance. Claim settlement survey has already started.[51][52][53]

The airline has engaged a USA-based firm Kenyon International to recover the baggage. It will be working with Angels of Air India.[54]

COVID-19 infection

Two passengers on the flight who survived tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 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.[55][56][57] Kondotty, where the airport is located, was a COVID containment zone with high positivity rate. Twenty-two of those who were involved in the rescue tested positive.[58].

Investigation

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and Flight Safety Departments are investigating the accident.[40][59][60] The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were recovered the next day and sent to Delhi for analysis.[61] Boeing is likely to send its investigation team to examine debris of the aircraft for defects and assist the probe.[62][49] The AAIB team in Kozhikode is probing the incident with the assistance of Airports Authority of India officials, air traffic control, ground staff, CISF, the fire team and the rescue team. It has found evidence of waterlogging of the runway at the time of landing. It is also checking whether ATC was aware of waterlogging and whether the pilots adhered to rules. The preliminary investigation report is expected to be ready by 16 August.[49] Another five-member committee was setup by AAIB on 13 August, to investigate the incident. It will be headed by Captain S.S. Chahar, former designated examiner on Boeing 737 Next Generation. The final report will be submitted in five months. The committee will also provide recommendations to avoid such accidents in future.[63][41][64]

Initial findings suggest that at the time of landing, the tailwind was around 9 knots (17 km/h). The aircraft was at 176 knots (326 km/h) at an altitude of approximately 450 feet (140 m) above the surface of runway 10, which is not considered ideal for short finals during poor weather conditions.[65] The throttle was found to be in a fully forward position (takeoff or go-around position) and the spoilers were retracted from the position of the speed brake lever, which indicates that the pilots might have tried for a go-around.[66] The tailwind, rubber deposits and wet runway affecting the braking performance of the aircraft are thought to be contributory factors to the accident.[7] Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Puri, in a press conference at Kozhikode on 8 August, said that there had been sufficient fuel on board for the aircraft to have flown to a diversion airport.[65] The possibility of pilot error, as a cause of the accident, was suggested by DGCA's Arun Kumar.[67][12][68][69] The crew did not raise an alarm due to weather conditions, and did not choose to divert, although they should have had sufficient fuel.

Compensation

The Government of India and Kerala, each announced an interim relief of ₹10 lakh (US$14,000) compensation for the families of the deceased above the age of 12 years, ₹5 lakh (US$7,000) for below the age of 12 years, ₹2 lakh (US$2,800) for seriously injured and ₹50,000 (US$700) for those who sustained minor injuries.[70] It was also announced that the medical expenses of the injured would be borne by the state government.[56][71]

See also

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.[13][14]
  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°).[25][26] 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.[46]

References
  1. "Accident Bulletin". airindia.in. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  2. 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". The India Today. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  3. Dutta, Anisha; Tripathi, Ashutosh (8 August 2020). "Kozhikode's tabletop runway risky for landing, officials warned 10 years ago". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  4. Kaminski-Morrow, David (8 August 2020). "Tailwind indicated before Air India 737's fatal 'table-top' overrun". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  5. "Calicut Airport - Security related information". aai.aero. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  6. "Before crash in Kozhikode, another plane struggled to land, ATC cleared a take-off". The Indian Express. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  7. Nath, Akshaya (8 August 2020). "Kozhikode airport tailor-made for disaster: Aviation expert warned DGCA in 2011". The India Today. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  8. 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. Times News Network. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  9. "Civil aviation expert's 2011 warning about 'unsafe' KIA runway fell on DGCA's deaf ears". The Hindustan Times. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  10. "'Kozhikode plane crash not an accident but murder': Air safety expert Capt Mohan Ranganathan". The Hindustan Times. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  11. "As Kerala plane crash theories rise, pilots' body makes an appeal, govt presents defence". The Hindustan Times. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  12. "India's Aviation Regulator Points to Pilot Error in Air India Express Crash". Insurance Journal. 9 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  13. "Touchdown Zone (TDZ) - SKYbrary Aviation Safety". skybrary.aero. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  14. 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.
  15. Sarkar, Kanishka (8 August 2020). "DGCA issued notice to Kozhikode airport in July 2019 over safety lapses: Official". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  16. Ranter, Harro. "Accident description Air India Express Flight 1344". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  17. "VT-AXH | Boeing 737-8HJ | Air India Express | Michael Stappen". JetPhotos. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  18. "Captain Who Died In Kerala Plane Crash Was Decorated Ex-Air Force Pilot". NDTV.com. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  19. "Air India's Dubai-Kozhikode flight splits into two on Karipur runway, pilot among dead". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  20. "Incident involving Air India Express at Calicut - Dark Site Info". airindia.in. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  21. "Air India Express pilot Captain Deepak Sathe's mortal remains reach Mumbai". Hindustan Times. 9 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  22. "Maharashtra govt to accord state funeral to Air India pilot Capt Deepak Vasant Sathe". The Hindustan Times. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  23. "Kozhikode flight tried to land once before final skid on runway". The Siasat Daily. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  24. "Air India Express plane skids off runway, killing at least 18 and injuring more than 100". CBS News. Associated Press. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  25. "Section 3 Airport Marking Aids and Signs". Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  26. "Airport markings and signs". cfinotebook.net. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  27. Sarkar, Sohini; Phillip (7 August 2020). "Air India Express plane with 191 from Dubai skids off Kozhikode runway, pilot killed". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  28. 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.
  29. "Kozhikode crash: Air India Express plane touched down near taxiway, 1,000 metres from beginning of runway". The India Today. Press Trust of India (PTI). 8 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  30. VOCL - CALICUT / DOMESTIC (PDF). aim-india.aai.aero. Airport Authority of India. 25 May 2017. p. 21.
  31. 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.
  32. "Plane did not slide, took off cliff, collapsed: CISF officer who saw last minutes of Air India Express flight". The Indian Express. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  33. "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". The Firstpost. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  34. "Pilots' move may have saved many, say experts". The Hindustan Times. 9 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  35. 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.
  36. "Kerala plane crash: Full list of passengers on board Air India Express flight". 8 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  37. "IX 1344 crashes. Many feared dead". The Independent. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  38. "Air India jet breaks in two on Kerala runway". BBC News. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  39. John, Tara; Sud, Vedika; Pokharel, Sugam; Gupta, Swati. "Air India plane crashes in Kerala after skidding off the runway". CNN. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  40. Dutta Roy, Divyanshu (8 August 2020). "18 Dead Including Both Pilots After Plane Breaks In Two In Kerala". NDTV.com. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  41. "Kozhikode plane crash: AAIB forms five-member inquiry panel, report expected in five months". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  42. "IX 1344 incident at Kozhikode – Updates – Expressions". Air India Express (official blog). Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  43. "View: Kerala plane crash response shows how locals play key role in disaster management". The Economic Times. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  44. 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.
  45. Sahay, Abhinav (9 August 2020). "Civilians rushed to save lives after plane crash, honoured with special gesture". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  46. "Airlines Go Teams Operations" (PDF). aviationemergencyresponseplan.com. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  47. ""Angels Of Air India", Special Team of Grief Counselors, Flown To Kerala". NDTV. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  48. "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.
  49. "AAIB to submit report this week | Kochi News - Times of India". The Times of India. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  50. Sabarwal, Harshit (8 August 2020). "CISF to award 3 officers for rescue efforts at Kozhikode International Airport". The Hindustan Times. Asian News International (ANI). Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  51. "Kerala plane tragedy: Global reinsurers to shell out over 90% of crashed Air India Express plane claim". The Indian Express. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  52. Phadnis, Aneesh (8 August 2020). "Plane crash: Air India Express Boeing 737 aircraft was insured for $50 mn". The Business Standard. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  53. Phadnis, Anees; Panda, Subrata (10 August 2020). "Air India Express plane, which overshot runway, was insured for $50 mn". The Business Standard. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  54. "Air India Express Hires US-Based Firm To Recover Baggage After Plane Crash". NDTV.com. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  55. "Kozhikode Air India Express crash: CISF personnel quarantined after passengers test positive for coronavirus". The Indian Express. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  56. "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.
  57. "AI Express passenger killed in crash tests Covid positive, rescue personnel to self quarantine". ThePrint. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  58. "22 officials who led Kozhikode crash rescue operations test COVID positive". The Week. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  59. Hradecky, Simon. "Accident: India Express B738 at Kozhikode on Aug 7th 2020, overran runway and fell into valley". Aviation Herald. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  60. "Boxes Recovered From Crashed Air India Express Flight In Kerala; Probe Underway". The Outlook India. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  61. "Black Boxes Recovered From Crashed Air India Express Flight In Kerala". NDTV. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  62. "Air India Express crash | Boeing likely to send technical team to examine debris of flight: Report". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  63. "Five-member committee to investigate Air India Express accident, submit report in 5 months". cnbctv18.com. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  64. Guha, Ishita (13 August 2020). "Centre sets up panel to probe Air India Express aircraft crash". Livemint. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  65. "Air India Express Plane Landed 1 Km Beyond Runway Threshold At High Speed". NDTV.com. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  66. V, Manju (19 August 2020). "Air India Express crash: Pilots may have tried to take off after deep touchdown, experts say | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  67. Gettleman, Jeffrey; Suhasini Raj; Shalini Venugopal Bhagat (8 August 2020). "Air India Crash Investigators Focus On a Dangerous Runway and a Pilot's Actions". nytimes.com. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  68. "'All we know is touchdown was late': DGCA chief on Kerala plane crash". The Hindustan Times. 9 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  69. "Pilots Told About Weather, Tailwinds: Aviation Watchdog On Kerala Crash". NDTV.com. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  70. Prasanth, M P (9 August 2020). "All deceased identified, AIE and Kerala govt announce Rs 10 lakh solatium". The Times of India. Times News Network. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  71. "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.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.