Watch | Disaster averted at Mumbai airport as aircraft lands on runway with another still taking off
DGCA has de-rostered the ATC staff involved in the incident at Mumbai Airport where an inbound IndiGo flight landing on Runway 27 while an Air India flight was still in the process of taking off on Saturday.
- Near miss at Mumbai airport: Air India and IndiGo flights become dangerously close on runway 27.
- Social media footage captures the tense situation as the Air India flight takes off while IndiGo attempts to land.
- Air India’s Airbus A320neo and IndiGo’s A320neo aircraft were involved in the near-miss incident, and both flights landed safely.
Two aircraft came dangerously close to each other on Saturday morning at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) in Mumbai, India, which could have resulted in a disaster. One aircraft touched down on Runway 27 while another aircraft was still taking off from the same runway on Saturday, June 07, 2024.
Watch the video here:
Very Close call today at VABB. @IndiGo6E tries to land while an aircraft is still on the roll on RW27. #AvGeek pic.twitter.com/tbHsDXjneF
— Hirav (@hiravaero) June 8, 2024
The incident involved IndiGo flight 5053 inbound from Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport (IDR) landing on Runway 27, as Air India flight 657 was still in the process of taking off for Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (TRV). Both aircraft that were operating the flights are Airbus A320neos.
According to the footage recorded and shared widely on social media, it appears that the Air India flight was still accelerating down the runway, and the IndiGo flight descended towards the ground. As the A320neo got closer, the Air India flight was able to get airborne, most likely oblivious of the other aircraft speeding towards it from behind. It was able to take off without incident.
Check the Flightradar Video Capture:
Aircraft involved – VTISV and VTRTS
— Hirav (@hiravaero) June 8, 2024
Date 08 June 2024
Time 0045Z/0615LT pic.twitter.com/YSsGFcpfnK
Indigo responded to media queries saying, “On Jun 8, 2024, IndiGo flight 6E 6053 from Indore was given landing clearance by ATC at Mumbai Airport. The Pilot in Command continued the approach and landing and followed ATC instructions. At IndiGo, passenger safety is paramount to us, and we have reported the incident as per procedure.”
Generally an aircraft is not cleared to land unless the departing aircraft on the same runway has climbed out and moved away to a considerable distance from the runway. Aircraft operate at great speeds even during landing and takeoffs and they need to keep at sufficient distance from each other to avoid collisions and wake turbulence.
According to ANI, Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has de-roaster the concerned ATC staffer for this safety lapse and further investigation is underway.
