Kochi: In another air incident at Kochi
airport, the tail of an Abu Dhabi-bound Air India Express
Boeing plane with 190 passengers on board tipped the runway
and returned here after being airborne for 90 minutes.
The two pilots of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft have been
derostered following the incident, an Air India spokesperson
said today.
The incident on Sunday night came to light today and
occurred hours before a Gulf Air flight from Bahrain skidded
off the runway at Kochi airport yesterday in which 137
passengers and a six-member crew had a narrow escape. Seven
persons were injured in the Gulf Air incident.
As the flight of Air India's low budget carrier took off
to Abu Dhabi at 9.15 PM, its tail tipped the runway, the
spokesperson said.
The pilots informed Air Traffic Control(ATC) after they
came to know about the tail problem and sought permission to
return.
Permission was granted and the aircraft returned to
Kochi after being airborne for one and half hours, the
spokesperson said. The aircraft also jettisoned fuel before
landing and was declared AOG (Aircraft on Ground).
Technicians repaired the "cartridge" of the aircraft and
the plane left for Mumbai today for its onward journey.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, August 30, 2011, 21:50