What went wrong?

May 23, 2010 - Age Correspondent |

Bengaluru

Several factors, such as a late touchdown, tyre-burst or a snag in the brake system, could be the probable causes for the crash in Mangalore, according to aviation experts and veteran pilots.
“It appears that the aircraft was okay till it landed as the pilot had not reported any glitch to the ATC. The question of poor visibility is also ruled out at it was excellent (at six km) this morning. The issue is also not about the place because the new runway was opened in 2006 and several thousand aircraft have landed and taken off. So, the question is, at what point (on the runway) the aircraft touched down, its speed, and why it left the runway. It may be the brakes failed, or that they were applied harshly and thus caused a tyre to burst,” Air Chief Marshal F.H. Major (Retd) told this newspaper.
Two veteran pilots who have flown aircraft to Mangalore said a late touchdown coupled with a wet runway could have led to the pilot losing control of the aircraft. “There’s no problem landing on the tabletop runway as its length (9,000 feet) is according to international standards and matches those in Pune, Indore and other cities,” they said.
One aviation expert pointed out the possibility of “aquaplaning” — a thin film of water on the runway after rainfall which prevents traction — being the cause of the disaster.

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