Aircraft lands on the wrong runway

VISAKHAPATNAM: At least 70 passengers of Paramount Airways flight from Hyderabad had a miraculous escape yesterday when the aircraft landed on the wrong runway at the INS Diga airport of this coastal city.
Airport officials said all passengers and crew were safe.
The ATR aircraft landed on the newly-built runway, which is yet to undergo in-flight calibration, instead of the one currently in use.
Airport Traffic Controller C Pattabhi said the pilot got confused and landed on the wrong runway and lost control. The aircraft overshot the runway and halted in bushes on muddy land. A major disaster was averted as the aircraft stopped a few metres from the area where construction materials were dumped.
Fire engines and ambulances were rushed as a precautionary measure. While nobody was hurt, the accident created panic among the passengers. All flights to and from Visakhapatnam were cancelled for the day.
The flight had taken off from Hyderabad at 9.55am and landed here at 10.55am.
The director general of civil aviation has ordered an inquiry.
The airport, which is managed by the Indian Navy and the Airport Authority of India (AAI), recently completed construction of the 10,000ft new runway. The in-flight calibration of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) by the AAI was scheduled to be taken up in the next few days.
The necessary approval for using the new runway from the director general of civil aviation was expected by the month-end. There were also plans to invite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister A K Antony to inaugurate the facilities, including the night-landing facility.
The incident might affect the authorities’ efforts to improve air connectivity and facilities as the airport’s image was hit by frequent flooding during last year’s rains.
Flights were cancelled for several days last year and also in 2005 due to the flooding. – IANS

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