Pilots suspended for taking off from taxiway

Three days after a Mumbaibound Jet Airways flight (B 737- 800) 9W 523 from Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport allegedly skidded off the runway, a report from Saudi Aviation Investigation Bureau has revealed the flight had attempted to take off from a taxiway running parallel to the actual runway.

Following the report, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Monday suspended the licenses of the two pilots manning the said Jet Airways flight.

The Saudi AIB clarified in its report the plane B 737 with 141 passengers and seven crew members on board slipped and aborted the takeoff as it was on the taxiway, which was parallel to the designated take-off runway at Riyadh's international airport.

The report also debunks the claim of the pilots of having spotted a 'foreign object' on the runway before aborting the take off. "There was high visibility and no obstacles or foreign object was found on the runway, as earlier stated by the two pilots," the report said.

The aircraft accelerated and exceeded the taxiway onto the unpaved area close to the exit of the taxiway, due to which the take-off was aborted, said the statement released by the AIB.

An official from the DGCA confirmed the suspension and said investigations are underway. "After receiving the initial probe report from Saudi AIB regarding the incident the DGCA has suspended licenses of both the pilots involved in runway

excursion incident at Riyadh pending investigation."

Meanwhile, a Jet Airways spokesperson refused comment. "We are in contact with the DGCA and are offering full co-operation to the aviation authority. Since the matter is under investigation, no further comments can be made."

In this incident, the passengers and crew members did not sustain any injuries and were evacuated through the safety emergency slides with the help of fire and rescue teams.