Date:30/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/30/stories/2008033051680300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Pilot had six seconds to react’

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The pilot of the Kingfisher Airlines Flight IT 2427 probably had a “reaction time of five to six seconds” after he saw a black dog cross his path on the runway, said a senior HAL airport official. The aircraft was “rolling towards take-off, travelling about 2,000-2,500 feet when it hit the dog.”

He reckons that at the point of impact, the aircraft was about 500 feet away from take-off, which would have taken about 25 to 30 seconds. The official said the pilot might have tried to slow down or avoid the dog or may have even attempted to abort take-off as the aircraft rolled at a speed of about 120 kmph.

He said the nose undercarriage of the aircraft “buckled down” and has been taken out for repairs. However, he said, the aircraft may not have suffered “serious damage.”

He said the aircraft’s sudden change of course while approaching take-off probably caused the damage. “The aircraft sat with its nose on the runway, after travelling 1,000 feet after it hit the dog,” he said.

Referring to the criticism about poor lighting, the official pointed out: “Operationally it is not advisable to have floodlights near a runway.”

Thursday’s mishap is classified as an “incident,” not an “accident.” Accidents imply “major damage” to either aircraft or property or result in the loss of human lives, while other mishaps are classified as “incidents.”

The last incident at the airport involved an Air Deccan ATR 72-500 aircraft going off the runway in March 2006. Air Deccan was subsequently acquired by Kingfisher.

HAL sources said the Controller for Air Safety, Directorate General of Air Safety (Southern Region), based in Chennai, had been informed about the incident on Thursday night.

He will submit a report to the Joint Director-General, Air Safety, DGCA, in New Delhi.

The report will be submitted within two or three days, said a HAL official.

The incident occurred at 9.32 p.m. and the runway was cleared at 1.05 a.m. HAL sources claimed that the quick clearance of the runway enabled the speedy restoration of services at the airport.