A Qatar Airways plane was hit by a water tanker at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, India, on November 1st.
The incident happened when passengers were boarding the plane that was scheduled to depart for Doha, Qatar.
The passengers were evacuated safely. The plane sustained substantial damage.
A Lufthansa plane burst four tires upon landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, India, on May 13th.
The Airbus A330-300 was performing flight LH-764 from Munich, Germany, when four of the ten tires burst.
There were 163 passengers aboard at the time; none of them were injured.
Following the Air India Express tragedy in Mangalore India (and definitely in response to it), the DGCA (India’s Directorate-General of Civil Aviation) has been trying to shut the gate after the horses are out. They’re still pointing their fingers at the pilot.
The tape of the crash records the co-pilot Capt H S Ahluwalia (*i.e. the pnf) insisting to Commander Capt Zlatko Glusica to initiate a go-around. The Captain (**i.e. the pf) did not, and the plane landed too far down the runway, clipped an antenna, crashed thru the end of the runway, off the edge of the runway plateau. We can only assume the captain ignored his co-pilot, as no go-around was initiated.
Apparently the pilot was in error and the co-pilot knew it. It must have been obvious to Ahluwalia that they were landing at the wrong angle too far down (the middle) of the runway–but he did not act on his knowledge. At any rate, he was in disagreement with his superior officer.
Consequently, the DCGA has issued an operations circular highlighting procedural assertiveness for the co-pilot when he knows the pilot is wrong. The Mangalore tragedy is not mentioned by name, but it is certainly the silent subtext.
Did the crash occur because the co-pilot did not take the controls? What exactly will this circular accomplish? Had this circular been public already, would the pilot and co-pilot have ended up in a wrestling match over controls of the airplane?
It will be interesting to hear from pilots about what they think the consequences of this directive might be, and if they think a cultural context may play a part.
I always turn to the experts. Right now, before the full investigation is out, I am hearing a lot of speculative “pilot error” but it is all speculation. But is it all pilot error?
My experts remind me that “Every incident is linked to a chain of events. Each event alone is not sufficient reason to provoke an accident although when they link together the chances are multiplied and sometimes the accident occurs.” ( I am quoting a pilot.)
For example, if pilot fatigue were a contributing factor (landing at dawn after a long tiring duty cycle), isn’t the carrier’s policy on pilot fatigue a contributory factor?
The Boeing 737 landed midway on runway 24, and then overshot it, crashing into a gorge. Initial reports on the civil aviation website showed runway 27 mislabeled as runway 24. The actual crash site was not even pictured, a mistake that certainly casts doubt on the quality of the investigation, and possibly even the quality of the resources available to pilots at the time they were negotiating a landing. What did their map say? Is a pilot alone in error if the resources provided him are in error? I know I am digressing, but the point I want to make is this:
I don’t have years of flight school, or engineering training but I do have opinion. And in my opinion, pilot error alone does not cause a crash like this.
Terminology
*pnf – pilot not flying
**pf – pilot flying
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Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer WT
What: Air India Express Boeing 737-800 en route from Dubai to Mangalore
Where: Mangalore airport
When: 6:00 a.m May 22 2010
Who: 160 (?) passengers including 23 children, 6 crew= 158 fatalities and 8 survivors
Why: Air India Express flight 812 attempted touch down was around the middle marker. (Conflicting) reports are that it overshot the runway, and that the pilot intended a go round (tapes reveal the co pilot was urging a go-round) but the plane hit the localizer antenna at the runway’s end, plowed through the perimeter losing part of a wing, and went down 75 feet into a ravine, and broke into pieces and burst into flames. On touchdown, there was a reported “bang” which may have been a tire bursting. A drizzle started after the accident. From 5 to 10 people have been hospitalized, but according to reports there are possibly 3 survivors.
Survivor Abdul Puttur suffered burns. He was seated near the wing exit and said that the pilot had announced the landing, then there was a thud. He saw huge flames after the plane fell into the ravine and then he jumped out from the back entrance. Another passenger said the pilot made no announcement.
The Serbian pilot was Zlatko Glusica, first officer was S.S. Ahluwalia.
According to DGCA rules, Mangalore International Airport is deemed a “critical airfield” which means that “supervised take offs and landings” are prohibited. Only the captain (not the first officer) can pilot take-offs and landings. Mangalore International Airport has a controversial table top runway and which forces pilots to make a precision landing. The airport has no buffer zone, and pilots landing planes must fly precisely or risk hurtling off the edge.
A small plane crashed near Tweed-New Haven Airport in Connecticut, on February 22nd.
Authorities said the Piper PA 38 plane went down in a nearby swamp immediately after taking off from the airport.
There were two people aboard at the time; one of them was killed in the accident while the other one was injured.
The deceased was identified as Pablo Campos Isona, 31, of East Haven.
The injured passenger was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital.
SpiceJet flight SG-160 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Ahmedabad, India, on July 4th.
The Boeing 737-800 plane heading from Mumbai to Delhi, India, was diverted due to the loss of cabin pressure.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Singapore Airlines flight SQ-516 made an emergency landing at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, India, on May 5th.
The Airbus A330-200 flying from Singapore was about to land when the crew noticed hydraulic leakage and declared an emergency.
The plane landed safely.
No one was injured.
A small plane crashed and caught fire on Cryon Road near Walgett, New South Wales, Australia, on the morning of November 5th.
The pilot, who was the only person aboard was killed in the crash.
The cause of the crash remains unknown.
