WARNING NONE HEEDED?
An expert in 2011 had raised red flag over risky landing at Kozhikode tabletop runway
Flights landing on runway 10 in tailwind conditions in rain at the Kozhikode airport endanger the lives of people onboard those flights, a civil aviation safety expert had warned in 2011.
Captain Mohan Ranganathan had flagged concerns about the runway in a communication to then Civil Aviation Secretary Nasim Zaidi in June 2011. Ranganathan was then a member of the operations group of the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Committee (CASAC).
The communication assumes significance against the backdrop of the Air India Express plane crash at the airport on Friday that killed at least 18 people, including two pilots.
“... in spite of the danger if the crew accept a landing in wet and tailwind conditions, their concept of ALAR (Approach and Landing Accident Reduction) is very poor," he had said in the communication. The communication had come against the backdrop of an Air India Express aircraft crash at Mangalore airport in 2010. 158 people had died in the crash.
“... all the flights that land on Runway 10 in the tailwind conditions in rain, are endangering the lives of all on board,” Ranganathan had said. With tailwind conditions, the descent of an aircraft at the time of landing might be affected.
About the Kozhikode airport accident, Ranganathan was quoted by NDTV website as saying the runway has a steep downslope and no safety area. "They were warned 9 years back and given proof but they continued to operate and declared the airport safe," he said.
"If there are casualties, then it is murder, a criminal offence," he was quoted.
Meanwhile, it has emerged aviation regulator DGCA had issued a show-cause notice to the director of the Kozhikode airport on July 11 last year after it found "various critical safety lapses" in different places, including the runway and the apron, officials said on Saturday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation pointed to cracks on the runway, water stagnation and excessive rubber deposits among other lapses in its show-cause notice.