An analysis between 2010 Mangalore and 2020 Kozhikode accidents

<p class="p1">In an unfortunate event, Air India Express aircraft while returning from Dubai under the Vande Bharat mission crashed at the "table top" while landing at Kozhikode airport.</p>
<p class="p1">At least 17 people died, including pilot Captain D.V. Sathe and his co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar.</p>
<p class="p1">Ten years ago, on 22 May, the country witnessed a similar tragedy at the same Mangalore airport runway when Boeing 737 aircraft of Air India Express operating an incoming flight to Mangalore from Dubai had overshot the runway while landing at the "table-top" airport.</p>
<p class="p1">Out of 166 passengers, including crew members, only eight survived.</p>
<p class="p1">However, the technical expert of the industry says there share a mixed response when asked to draw an analysis between the two accidents.</p>
<p class="p1">In 2010, the pilots of the Boeing 737 aircraft tried to power-up the plane in an attempt to take-off before running out of tarmac. Unfortunately, the aircraft plunged into a valley below and exploded.</p>
<p class="p1">Yesterday also witnessed a similar glimpse, flight overshot the runway and fell down a slope. Fortunately enough, the aviation turbine fuel this time did not ignite.</p>
<p class="p1">According to experts, some of whom are serving commanders in reputed domestic airlines, yesterday's incident has little resemblance to the one that occurred in Mangalore.</p>
<p class="p1">"In Mangalore, pilots had landed the aircraft in the middle of the runway. Then they quickly tried to take-off again, thereby using thrust and power," a senior commander told IANS from Mumbai.</p>
<p class="p1">"However, their attempt failed and at the peak power, the aircraft hit antennas at the end of the runway and dived into the valley."</p>
<p class="p1">He pointed out that the Mangalore incident was a 'high intensity' one that ignited the on-board fuel, thereby, causing a heavy toll on life. Only a handful of survivors had escaped the Mangalore accident.</p>
<p class="p1">A senior aviation safety professional, who headed the training department of a leading low-cost carrier said that the speed of impact in Kozhikode incident seems to be slower than that of the one in Mangalore.</p>
<p class="p1">"Only an investigation can bring out the entire fact and the story behind today's incident, however, on the face of it, pilots seem to have tried to slow down the aircraft (in Kozhikode)," the aviator said.</p>
<p class="p1">"The impact of the crash would have been more contained. Plus, commercial airliners use aluminum and light metals which can not withstand these kinds of impacts."</p>
<p class="p1">Even the fact that the aircraft in Mangalore accident plunged way deeper than the Kozhikode one is another technical factor that experts cite.</p>
<p class="p1">"No matter, how different these accidents might be, the loss of life and property is a tragic sight," the commander said.</p>
<p class="p1">It was the second attempt made by the pilot before the aircraft skidded off the runway after landing, the aircraft fell down 35 feet slope. Yesterday, Kozhikode also witnessed heavy rains.</p>
<p class="p1">As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Air India Express aircraft landed on Runway 10 amid visibility of 2,000 meters in heavy rain, but overshot and nosedived into the valley and broke into two pieces.</p>
<p class="p1">Expressing deep anguish over the incident, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said a formal inquiry will be conducted into the incident by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).</p>
<p class="p1">The AAIB was formed in 2012 as an independent accident probe committee under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.</p>
<p class="p1">Describing the incident in a tweet, the minister said the aircraft overshot the runway in rainy conditions and plunged 35 feet into a slope before breaking into two pieces.</p>
<p class="p1">Puri added that relief teams from the Air India and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) have been rushed to the accident spot from Delhi and Mumbai.</p>
<p class="p1">(with agencies input)</p>.