Foreign pilot was experienced
8 miracles on flight 812
An Air India Express plane from Dubai to Mangalore overshot the runway after touching down early on Saturday, veered off it and crashed into a forest about 100 metres below Mangalore’s Bajpe International Airport, bursting into flames and killing 158 people, many of whom were children. Eight people miraculously survived as some were thrown from the aircraft after it careened off the runway and crashed into the forest. The Boeing 737-800 split into two on impact.
Air India Express Flight IX 812 touched down around 6.05 am Saturday, appeared to skid off the tabletop runway in the rain and plunge into the forest some 100 metres below, AI director Anup Srivastava said. The ATC received no distress signal. Civil aviation minister Praful Patel said the plane’s commander, Capt. Zlatko Glusica, a British national of Serbian origin, had overshot the runway by 2,000 feet. The co-pilot, Capt. H.S. Ahluwalia, was based in Mangalore and had 3,650 hours of flying experience, of which 3,350 hours were on Boeing 737s. The airport is situated on Bajpe-Kenjar hill about 20 km from Mangalore city. Capt. Glusica had 10,200 hours of flying experience and had been operating in India for two years. He has made 19 sorties to Mangalore in the past. The plane was said to be in good condition and was procured in end 2007.
Family and friends waiting to welcome their dear ones were shocked into silence when they heard the thud as the plane landed but, instead of coming to a stop, saw it overshoot the runway and disappear from view in a ball of fire. Sources said one of the aircraft’s wings hit the “replier point” at the end of the runway as it careened over the edge.
Pradeeep, a passenger, said he jumped off the plane when its wing got lopped off at the end of the runway while seven others said they jumped or were thrown clear after the plane crashed into the valley. Some 146 bodies, charred beyond recognition, were pulled from the debris and taken to Government Wenlock Hospital. The bodies of 108 men, 23 children and 27 women had been recovered.
DGCA officers were looking for the “load and trim sheet” of the aircraft as top investigating officials wait to retrieve the cockpit voice recorder and black box. A DGCA official later confirmed that the load and trim sheet had been acquired to investigate whether the crew was aware of the actual weight carried by the aircraft, which might have a bearing on the fact that touchdown was 2,000 feet further than specified.
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