Tragedy averted as Gulf Air plane strays off runway

Kochi, Aug 29 (PTI) Over 140 passengers and crew of a
Gulf Air plane from Bahrain had a narrow escape on Monday when
the Airbus A-320 skidded off the runway into a muddy area
while landing at the international airport here amid heavy
rains.
The plane, with 137 passengers and six crew, veered off
the runway at 3.55 am breaking its nose-wheel. One person was
hospitalised with fractures and six with minor injuries
discharged after first aid, airport sources said.
Cochin International Airport Limited Managing Director V
J Kurien told reporters that strong winds and heavy rains
which lashed Kochi early this morning could have been the
cause of the mishap.
The runway had not been damaged and the pilots had not
asked for emergency landing, he said.
Kurien said the pilot had told him he could see the
runway clearly when he was six nautical miles away from the
airport.
Heavy rains and winds lashed the area and the pilot could
not see the runway when the flight was just above 532 meters,
which is below the decision making height after which the only
option was to land, Kurien said.
Most passengers coming home for Eid said they were taken
totally unawares and claimed that the crew did not inform them
of any emergency. Only after the emergency door opened did
they realise the plane had strayed off the runway.
"We all jumped from the plane. It was only due to God's
grace we are safe," a passenger said
Air traffic went haywire as flights were diverted to
Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Bangalore. Consequently,the
runway had to be closed for nearly eight hours.
The Director General of Civil Aviation has ordered an
enquiry into the mishap.
The runway has now been partially opened for smaller
aircraft with three flights already landing, Airport Director
A C K Nair, told PTI.
An Oman Airways flight diverted to Bangalore landed at
around 11.30 AM, followed by a Sri lankan airlines flight at
12.35 pm. A Kingfisher airline has also landed, he said.
Airport officials said there were no cancellations and that
there were only delays and diversion of aircraft.
Kurein said sand and mud might have entered the engine,
making it impossible to tow the aircraft to either the taxiway
or the isolated bay.
A two-member DGCA team, led by Assistant Director Durai
Raj arrived here, inspected the aircraft and took evidence
from the airlines and airport authorities.
An Air India ferry flight with Rescue Operation Equipment
to lift the nose wheel system and tow away the plane, is
expected to reach from Mumbai this afternoon.
CIAL has brought two cranes of 50 and 60 tons capacity to
help lift the aircraft.A bigger crane of 100 ton capacity from
Cochin Shipyard will support clearing of the damaged aircraft.
About 12 International flights were either diverted or
delayed due to the runway closure. In the domestic sector, 15
services were disrupted.
Airport sources said eight international flights were
diverted to Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Bangalore.
While five flights were diverted to the state capital, two
were diverted to Kozhikode and one to Bangalore.
Passengers who alighted at Thiruvananthapuram and
Kozhikode airports are being brought to Kochi by road. The
Oman airways flight, diverted to Bangalore, subsequently
landed at Kochi.