Ex-air marshal who probed Mangalore plane tragedy lists reasons for Kozhikode plane crash

Retired Air Marshal Bhushan Gokhale, who investigated the 2010 Mangalore plane crash in which around 158 passengers were killed, has listed possible causes behind the Kozhikode plane tragedy. He also stated that the inquiry panel will study the detailed issues related to the mishap.

"In the 2010 Mangalore incident, 158 people died because the plane had caught fire. When the plane went down deep, people died due to asphyxiation and only 8 survived. In the Kozhikode incident, the plane went down for around 30-40 foot," said Bhushan.

He explained that landing can be very risky if rainwater is accumulated on the runway. He suggested that there should be proper drainage on runaway and a maximum of around 3 mm water film should be allowed.

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“During braking, the wheel of aircraft gets locked while landing and later released. At that time, if there is a film, then the plane will skid off. In this case, the plane can go in right or left direction or it cannot stop," Bhushan said.

"Rubber in the plane tires melts while landing and that's why smoke comes out. In this case, if the water is on the runway, there will be a problem while landing," he said.

As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the visibility in Kozhikode at the time of the tragedy was 2,000 metres due to heavy rain. After landing, the plane kept running to the end of the runway and fell into the valley, breaking into three pieces.

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'Why do pilots land compulsorily in Kozhikode?'

The retired Air Marshal said that the inquiry panel will also investigate why pilots have to land compulsorily in Kozhikode if visibility was a problem there.

"As media reports say 2000 metres was the visibility. If that is true it was good visibility because in our field, we consider 500 metres also good visibility. The inquiry should find out what was the visibility at that time," he said.

"Another is the wind factor. The wind is erratic in tabletop runways. The pilot ensures safe landing while considering all this. Maybe the situation was not well, that's why they took a round of the airport and then landed. There is a standard operating procedure set up by DGCA for clearing water from the runway. The inquiry panel will check this aspect during the investigation," he added.

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Bhushan said the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) that have been recovered from the Air India Express aircraft will reveal if there was an engine problem, fuel availability, control issue, and braking issue that caused the mishap. 

As the DGCA has ordered an inquiry into the tragedy, Bhushan suggested that the inquiry panel formed should be a composite team consisting of experienced pilots, engineers, ATC officials weather experts and doctors.

On Friday, Air India Express aircraft carrying 190 people including 184 passengers and six crew members crash-landed at the Kozhikode airport. 18 people, including the pilot and the co-pilot, lost their lives in the incident. Both the Pilot and the Co-Pilot are among the dead.

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(With inputs from ANI)

(Image credits: PTI)