[BoneCollector]

Not at all happy to share this news. An Air India Express flight from Dubai to Kozhikode (IX344) has crash landed at the airport in heavy rains. There were 184 passengers on board. Details are awaited. This was forwarded by my pilot friend and now it's all over the news. The plane was a B737 and has apparently split into two. Casualties are expected but I pray that it's not true. There was no fire reported.












Current update.

[Gannu_1]

This isn't looking good. The fuselage is gone. :'(

News channels reporting that the flight skid and overshot the runway. It has been pouring continuosly over the last 3-4 days in Kerala.

[airbus]

Reminds me the accident of Air India Express Flight 812 at Mangalore Airport on 22 May 2010. Praying for safety of everyone on board IX1344.

DGCA representative on India Today told that plane landed beyond touch point and fell off to valley and broken into two pieces.

Flightradar24 data shows that flight might have attempted a go-around.

[voldemort]

One of the pliots of Flight IX 1344 has died while many passengers are feared injured, BJP MP KJ Alphons said.

The flight was part of the Vande Bharat programme that has been bringing back Indians from abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Source

According to news channels the deceased Captain's name is D. V. Sathe (may have misspelt; translated from Malayalam).

[ecenandu]

Terrible news from Kerala.

Air India Express aircraft from Dubai to Kozhikode with 191 on board crashed after overshooting the runway and going into the valley after landing at Karipur Airport. Fire tenders and ambulances have been rushed to the spot. The mishap took place at about 7.10 pm and the aircraft broke into two parts. According to initial reports, the pilot of the aircraft died in the mishap.

Source

[balenoed_]

Resembles the Air India crash at Mangalore airport which also is a table top runway.

Pilot and one more male passenger feared to be dead and several passengers are critically injured as per initial reports. Fortunately the aircraft did not explode, probably due to the heavy rains at the time of landing helped there to subside any spark?



What a tragic circumstance. Migrant returnees in the wake of Covid fear have to crash land in to a state battling with incessant rains and landslides and Covid. Afraid to even imagine how the already crippling hospitals due to Covid is going to take care of this.

Originally Posted by airbus

Flightradar24 data shows that flight might have attempted a go-around.

From FR24, VT-AXH performed 2 approaches to RWY28 followed by the approach to RWY10

[Red Liner]

Apparently the plane fell into a 30 foot gorge. 2 casualties reported so far. Very tragic. I am sure the captain and his co pilot did their best to try and land safely in night Marish conditions.

[McLaren Rulez]

Fuselage in two pieces almost certainly means there will be many casualties.

[Fordlover88]

The flight has broken into two pieces. Disturbing scenes indeed. Prayers for safety of everyone onboard.

[libranof1987]

Heartbreaking news.

Saw a small clip on Twitter; such a shame that the accident site is a public spectacle with onlookers (perhaps with the intention to help) hindering rescue efforts. Our emergency services aren't the most effective in the world and having a swarm of people there to take a look doesn't help.

Hope the deceased count is as minimal as it can be.

[Thanos-VV]

Several critically injured and confirmed reports of 3 dead including Pilot. Just praying that casualty should remain low. Heavy rain in the central and northern Kerala for the last couple of days.

The nearby people were requested to bring their vehicles for rescue. Maybe due to that there are many onlookers in the news channels.

[adwaith]

Extremely saddening and unfortunate. After the crash at the Mangalore Airport a while ago, I have always been skeptical of the Karipur Airport as well since they're both Table-Top.

Roughly 6 or 7 years ago, we were returning from Dubai and it was raining and they couldn't land the first time and had to try again. It was quite scary then and we felt really lucky at the end.

Just when you think this year can't get any worse, it keeps hitting harder. The deluge and this crash being the latest disasters.

[skanchan95]

Landings on tabletop runways is tricky especially in bad weather. I have been on flights to Mangalore in the monsoons that had to do violent go-arounds because of poor visibility, winds and rains. It can be very unnerving as a passenger in the aircraft, after a turbulent final approach through low clouds, to suddenly get jolted by Take off/Go around Power. The crew has go through the entire landing procedure in turbulent and bad weather again.It is never easy for the cockpit crew in such situations.

The Commander of the ill-fated flight, Capt D V Sathe, was a retired IAF test pilot and he is dead. The co-pilot is serious. As a mark of respect to the dead, please let us not judge the crew's performance, as happened in the PIA thread.

RIP to the departed and may the Almighty give their families to cope with their loss in these tough times.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Shocking news and scenes - and today has been exceptionally bad, though all of 2020 has been bad luck. Heavy rain and several reports of floods and landslides from morning and now this. Just hearing news that the death toll is up to a confirmed number of five now.

Some positive points noticed in these sad times -

1. Looks like fire force in the airport acted fast. No fire reported even with such a major crash. Or may be due to heavy rain?

2. Looks like people were moved to hospitals really fast as well - also with a lot of participation from locals. The critical one hour initial response may help limit the death toll, hopefully.

3. From all the visuals playing out on TV - Looks like most of the medical personnel and rescue workers seem to be having masks, PPE etc as per COVID protocols.

[Night Raven]

The images are heartbreaking. As of now 10 people have been declared dead, including the captain. The first officer and several others are said to be critical. The news channels say there were 191 souls on board, including 7 crew. Some articles say there were over 20 under five children on board.
It is very sad day for us here in Kerala. First the landslide in munnar with so many deaths and so many missing people, and now this.