Flight Takes Off From Grass: Pilot Suspended

In a near mishap, a GoAir flight arriving in Bengaluru from Nagpur landedjust off the runway at the Kempegowda International Airport on Monday. Theflight immediately took off again and landed on the runway in its secondattempt.

Flight G811 departed early Monday morning from Nagpur and was set to reach Bengaluru at 7.15 am. Preliminary reports suggest that severe fog conditions in Bengaluru resulted in poor visibility, which led to the incident.

Passengers and crew on board did not report any serious injuries, sourcessaid. Officials at the Kempegowda International Airport declined to comment onthe incident, stating that only the airline and the Directorate General ofCivil Aviation (DGCA) have the authority to speak on the issue. DGCA haslaunched an inquiry into the matter.

In a statement, GoAir said, "GoAir flight G8 811 from Nagpur toBengaluru had carried out go around at Bengaluru and diverted to Hyderabad. Allthe passengers, crew and aircraft landed safely at Hyderabad. This reportableincident was reported immediately to the DGCA – the industry regulator."

It added, "Pending the investigation by GoAir and the regulator, the flight crew has been kept off flying duty. Safety of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance to GoAir and the airline is committed to all aspects of safety."

 Fog conditions often affect flightsscheduled at Bengaluru airport between November and February.

In July, an Air India Express flight traveling from Delhi to Mangaluru veered off the taxiway and skid onto a patch of grass and mud at Mangalore International Airport. All 183 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane were safe.

At the time, the Mangalore International Airport Director VV Rao told TNM,"The pilot, while attempting to land, could not establish a stableapproach so the aircraft circled the runway and landed in the second attempt.

He added, "The aircraft skid after the pilot was unable to control thespeed while turning from the runway to the taxiway. The pilot has to slow downand turn into the taxiway. If the aircraft is fast, a 90-degree turn is notpossible so it is because of speed this has happened."