Air India Express Crash: Ill-Fated Flight Tried to Land Twice, Indicates Flightradar 24 Data

The data also showed that the aircraft circled the airport several times, ultimately skidding off the runway and crashing into a nearby gorge on the second attempt.

New Delhi: The ill-fated Air India Express flight from Dubai to Kozhikode, which crashed at Kozhikode International Airport last evening, killing at least 17 of total 191 people on board, made two attempts to land at the runway, data from Filghtradar 24 indicates.

Notably, Flightradar24 is a popular Swedish firm that shows real-time commercial flight tracking information on a map.

As per its data, flight number IX1344, which was being operated under the ‘Vande Bharat’ Mission, circled the Kozhikode International Airport several times, and tried to land twice amid heavy rain. However, on the second and ultimately fatal attempt, the aircraft skidded off the tabletop runway, and crashed into a 35-feet gorge, also breaking into two halves.

A tabletop runway is one which is built on the top of a plateau or hill with one or both ends adjacent to a steep elevation, which drops into a gorge, thus making such a runway very dangerous to land an aircraft on.

In fact, India’s previous major aviation disaster, at Mangalore’s Bajpe Airport on May 22, 2010, also involved a tabletop runway. Incidentally, in that incident as well, it was an Air India Express flight, also from Dubai, that had crashed.

The deceased from last evening’s incident include the two pilots, one of whom-the Captain-was a former test pilot with the Indian Air Force (IAF). The four cabin crew members, meanwhile, are reported to be safe.