New Delhi/Kozhikode, Aug 8 : In one of the worst air disasters witnessed in Kerala, an Air India Express flight returning from Dubai under the ‘Vande
Expressing deep anguish over the incident, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said a formal enquiry will be conducted into the incident by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The AAIB was formed in 2012 as an independent accident probe committee under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Describing the incident in a tweet, the minister said the aircraft overshot the runway in rainy conditions and plunged 35 feet into a slope before breaking into two pieces. Puri added that relief teams from the Air India and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) have been rushed to the accident spot from Delhi and Mumbai. On Friday evening, the ill-fated AI Express aircraft skidded off the runway after landing on its second attempt amid heavy rains and plunging 35 feet into the valley below. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Air India Express aircraft landed on Runway 10 amid visibility of 2,000 metres in heavy rain, but overshot and nosedived into the valley and broke into two pieces.
