TRICHY MISHAP: AI JET POSSIBLE OVERLOADED

I appeal to students to carry out innovations in the field of education

— Sushil Modi, Bihar deputy CM

Tiruchirappalli: The Dubaibound Air India Express plane was flying at a speed of 250 km and possibly overloaded when its tyre hit an equipment used to guide a pilot to land a flight and then brushed the compound wall during take- off at the International Airport here early on Friday, officials said. Tiruchirappalli airport director K. Gunasekaran has said onduty Central Industrial Security Force ( CISF) personnel had informed the air traffic control ( ATC) about the accident, following which the air traffic controller informed the pilots about it. A day after all 136 people on board the Air India Express plane had a miraculous escape, airport officials Saturday said airport staff, including CISF personnel, who informed the ATC about the accident, are being questioned. According to the airline, the pilot in command, Captain D Ganesh Babu, has a flying experience on the B737 aircraft of 3,600 hours. The first officer, Captain Anurag, has an experience of about 3,000 hours on the B737. Ganesh Babu had reportedly told officials that there was no problem in the plane and all the cockpit equipment indicated to him that plane was in good shape, airport officials said. The officials said the pilot was supposed to take- off at a parlicular point on the ‘ 8169 runway,’ but he could have crossed that point before taking off leading to the tyre brushing the wall. When the passengers asked about the “scary rocking” experienced by them, they were reportedly told by the crew that it was common. “It is not known when the ATC staff contacted the pilot after the incident. The exchange between the pilot and the ground staff, timing etc will be examined during the investigation,” officials said.