Kozhikode: An Air India Express flight from Dubai trying to land in torrential rain with 191 passengers on board overshot the table top runway at Kozhikode’s Calicut International airport on Friday and fell into a 35 foot deep gorge at 7.41 pm killing atleast 17 people.

The air craft a boeing 737 broke into two. The deceased include the flight commander, Deepak V. Sathe, and Co-pilot Akilesh Kumar. According to flight tracking sites, the aircraft made two attempts to land in a heavy rain before touching down the third time, leading to the accident. The flight was part of the Vande Bharat repatriation mission and most passengers were stranded non-resident Keralites returning home from the UAE following the Covid- 19 pandemic.

Sources said at the time of third attempted landing the wind speed was 15 Knots and there was heavy rain. The aircraft was high on approach, possibly due to strong tailwinds. It landed beyond the touchdown point on the runway, which was why it failed to stop in time. The nose of the aircraft and cock-pit area were completely destroyed and the fuselage had broken into two pieces. Many passengers suffered serious injuries, including to the head and fractures, due to the crash impact.

Fortunately the plane did not burst into flames. Aviation Minister H.S. Puri said he was deeply anguished and distressed at the air accident in Kozhikode. We are in touch with local authorities. State Police have reported 17 deaths. Relief teams from Air India and AAI are being immediately dispatched from Delhi and Mumbai, all efforts being made to help passengers. A formal enquiry will be conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet said Pained by the plane accident in Kozhikode and my thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest, spoke to Kerala CM @ Vijayan Pinarayji regarding the situation? Authorities are at the spot, providing all assistance to the affected. Fire fighting personnel and hundreds of rescue workers immediately reached the airport and the injured were taken to Government Medical Colleges in Kozhikode and Mallapuram and private hospitals in Kozhikode and Kondotty.

State Health Minister K. Shailaja said many passengers had serious injuries. According to Air India, there were 174 passengers, 10 infants, two pilots and five cabin crew on board the aircraft. It is the first major accident at Calicut International airport in its 32 years history.