2010 Mangaluru crash also occurred after plane overshot 'tabletop' runway

Mangaluru: The plane crash at Calicut International Airport on Friday evening is eerily similar to the crash that took place in Mangaluru on May 22, 2010, where Air India Express Flight 812, a Boeing 737-800, skid off the runway, killing 158 people. This was the first fatal collision involving an Air India Express flight. Barring eight people, all those on board passed away, most of them due to burns.

The Mangalore International Airport is located around 10 km away from the main city in Bajpe. Situated on top of a hill, it has steep drops at the end of its runways – known as table top runways.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft overshot the runway and plunged down a gorge. An investigation into the incident revealed that the pilot was asleep for most of the flight’s duration, as intermittent snoring and deep breathing sounds were audible in the cockpit voice recorder. The enquiry report also mentioned that the pilot had slept for an hour and 40 minutes at least, of the plane’s 2 hour 5 minute duration.

After touching down on the 2,448 metre long runway, the plane had overshot the runway and crashed after wavering off the runway. The chatter between the pilot and ATC, picked up by the blackbox as well, did not show signs of trouble.

A passenger who had survived the crash had narrated that the plane had broken into two and then they all saw thick, black smoke emitting from the plane.

The inquiry report of this crash said that airfields like Mangaluru and Kozhikode (which are two out of three of tabletop airports in India) require “extra skill and caution” because of the “the undulating terrain and constraints of space.”

“The hazard of undershooting and overshooting, in particular, can lead to grave situations,” the inquiry report said. Investigations also revealed that the plane had overshot the usual touchdown point by 1,600 metres. It was also noted that there was a failed attempt to land before the fateful crash landing.

The report also noted that the crew had not been subjected to a pre-flight medical examination

“The Captain had failed to cross check the altitude and corresponding distance on approach. In spite of a number of warnings to the contrary, the Captain had persisted with approach and landing. He had not only touched down late, but also did not apply the brakes appropriately. The visibility at the time of landing was 6 km and surface wind was calm. The runway surface was dry. 3.1.16 There was no evidence of any bird strike on the aircraft,” it added.

“There was no evidence to indicate any pre-existing failures of the engine, airframe or any other aircraft systems,” the report concluded.

The inquiry report attributed the cause of the accident to the “Captain’s failure to discontinue the ‘unstabilised approach’ and his persistence in continuing with the landing, despite three calls from the First Officer to ‘go around’ and a number of warnings from EGPWS [Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System].”

In July 2019, an Air India Express aircraft travelling from Dubai to Mangaluru veered off the taxiway and onto the grass at the same airport. The aircraft skidded to a  halt on a patch of mud and grass. There were 183 passengers on board the plane and all were safe after the incident.