Chennai. So far 18 people have died in the Air India Express plane crash. Aircraft experts said on Saturday that the slippery runway, strong wind, inclement weather conditions and landing of the aircraft beyond the regular location could all be a lethal combination, which would have resulted in skidding of the Air India Express at Kozhikode. An Air India Express plane flying from Dubai slipped off the runway on Friday evening while landing in Kozhikode and plunged into the deep valley below. About 18 people, including two pilots, were killed in the accident.
The aircraft carried 190 passengers, including six crew team members. It was raining heavily during the plane’s landing at 7.41 pm on Friday.
One pilot said not to mention his name, “This may be due to lack of friction between the tire and the runway. Waterlogging can also be a major cause (hydroplaneing) due to rain.”
The pilot stated that hydroplanening is a situation in which the wheel contact with the surface is broken due to the presence of water and the wheel begins to crumble. This makes braking impossible and the aircraft’s speed may not decrease after landing.
The former Indian Air Force (IAF) navigator reported that the standard 9,000 feet Kozhikode runway could not pose a problem for such aircraft.
The former navigator stated, “Probably, the aircraft landed beyond the threshold or normal location, due to poor visibility, strong favorable wind and slippery runways.”
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