Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: One hundred and thirty four passengers and three crew members of Air India flight AI 821 had narrow escape when tyres of the aircraft burst after landing and the plane got deviated from the runway but stopped immediately. This led to suspension of all outgoing and incoming flights to Jammu Airport as the runway got blocked.
Official sources admitted that a major tragedy was averted as the flight, which had reached here from New Delhi and had to leave for Srinagar after a boarding and de-boarding of passengers, deviated from the runway soon after its four back tyres burst after landing at Jammu Airport at 12.10 am today.
Soon after the bursting of tyres and deviation of plane from the runway, the staff opened Emergency doors of the aircraft and all passengers and crew were evacuated. Five passengers received minor injuries for which they were provided treatment at the Airport itself.
“It could have been a major tragedy as the flight had overshot the runway,” sources pointed out but said everything went right and all 134 passengers on board and crew of three came out safely.
An emergency was sounded at the Jammu Airport soon after the tyres of the plane burst and it overshot the runway. Fire Brigades and all other emergency appliances reached the spot but the requirements didn’t arise.
Sources said the aircraft had 10 tyres-two in front and eight in back. Four back tyres burst simultaneously that deviated the plane from the runway.
Sources said there was no damage to the aircraft.
AI 821 took off from Delhi at 11 am and reported a brake failure as it touched down at the Jammu airport at 12.15 pm.
After the brake failure, the aircraft suffered tyre burst and overshot the runway before coming to a halt at the end of the strip. Four of its tyres burst, sources said.
The airline was operating an Airbus Classic A320, which is due to be phased out in the next few months, sources said.
“As per initial reports, after touch down the plane had a brake loss and all emergency procedures were followed. By the time the plane stopped, it had skidded beyond the runway. Four wheels deflated during this. There is no damage to the property and no injuries to anyone,” said the sources.
“The aircraft came to a halt at the end of the runway,” sources said.
Air India plans to retire all its classic A320s by the end of this fiscal and has placed an order for 22 A320 Neos out of which four planes have already been inducted by the airline.
Pilots in the past have termed this plane as “lethal and snag-prone” and had two years ago urged the aviation regulator DGCA to ground these planes in the interest of passenger safety.
As the runway was blocked, all 10 flights, which were scheduled to take off or land at Jammu airport after the incident, were cancelled, a result of which several outgoing as well as incoming passengers were stranded at Jammu, Srinagar, New Delhi and other destinations.
Airport Director DK Gautam, in an official handout issued this evening, said there was no damage to the runway but the plane was stuck at the runway end, leading to its blockade and cancellation of 10 flights during the day. He added that the runway was cleared this evening and normal flight operations will resume from Jammu Airport tomorrow.
“The aircraft has been removed from its stranded position and runway cleared for the operations,” Gautam said, adding that all the passengers were evacuated safely from the aircraft using emergency chutes after the incident.
Sources said the Aviation experts would ascertain the reasons behind entire incident including bursting of the tyres of plane and its deviation from runway.
Sources said a couple of flights, which had reached Jammu after the incident were sent back to Srinagar and New Delhi while others which had yet to take off for Jammu from various destinations were cancelled. The flights, which had reached Jammu Airport and had to take off shortly, were also cancelled.
Sources admitted that cancellation of flights left many passengers stranded at Jammu, New Delhi, Srinagar and other destinations.
The flight will land and take off from Jammu Airport, as usual, from tomorrow morning,” sources said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
