Business | Aviation
Landings on 'tabletop' runway can be tricky
Accidents of this type, known as "runway excursions," are fairly common, though the majority end without injury or damage.
- AP
- Published: 00:00 May 23, 2010
Mangalore: The Bajpe airport in the South Indian city of Mangalore, where an Air India Express plane crash killed 158 people, is located on a plateau surrounded by hills.
Aviation experts say the "tabletop" runway, which ends in a valley, makes a bad crash inevitable when a plane does not stop in time.
"If the pilot overshoots the runway, the aircraft will be in trouble," said Asif, an aviation expert.
Accidents of this type, known as "runway excursions," are fairly common, though the majority end without injury or damage.
Indian Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said the plane's pilot, a British citizen, had more than 10,000 hours of flying experience, including 26 landings at Mangalore.
32,000 landings
The Indian co-pilot had more than 3,750 hours of experience and 66 landings at Mangalore, he said.
More than 32,000 landings had been made on the runway since it opened in 2006, officials said.
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