New Delhi: An Air India Express passenger plane from Dubai crashed outside Mangalore airport in Karnataka on Saturday, killing 158 people when it burst into flames after overshooting the runway.
What are the questions that investigators into the crash will be asking? While the process is an exhaustive one, here are some of the key points that will be addressed:
1. What were the weather conditions like?
2. Was there a head-wind or a tail-wind at the time of landing? Were the pilots properly informed? Theoretically, a head-wind would have slowed down the aircraft after landing and allow it to come to a stop quicker.
3. Was the pilot attempting a smooth landing or a firm landing? In the first, the effort is to make the aircraft touch down smoothly, but that also means touching down a little into the runway and not close to its edge. A firm landing is often preferred for shorter runways, though it causes minor discomfort to passengers.
4. Could the pilot not have attempted a go-around if he felt he had overshot the ideal landing point? Did the plane have enough fuel? What steps are involved in doing a go-around?
5. What special methods are adopted for critical airfields - which include those with shorter runways, such as Mangalore?
6. Could one of the pilots have been on a training mission?
7. Did the plane have enough fuel to reach a different destination if required?
Comments
0 comment