Kochi: The mishap at Calicut International Airport in Karipur occurred when the Air India Express flight from Dubai was making a second landing attempt after the first failed.
However, in the second attempt, the flight overshot the runway and crashed when the pilots tried for a takeoff after the tyres skidded. Most of the deceased were seated in the front portion of the plane.
Eighteen people, including both the pilots, were killed in the accident that occurred at 7.40 pm on Friday.
The plane was carrying 190 people - 184 passengers and six crew. It fell into a 35-feet deep gorge after overshooting the runway and its fuselage split into two, said Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The Civil Aviation Ministry has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
The preliminary conclusion is that low visibility due to heavy rains and waterlogging on the runway caused the accident. The plane skidded and crashed while trying to land from the western side of the table-top runway.
All the passengers were evacuated from the plane within one-and-a-half hours.
With the runway closed, all flights to Kozhikode were diverted to Bengaluru on Friday night.
An Air India Express statement on Saturday said Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, Chief Officer of the Air India Express, Chief of Operations and Chief of Flight Safety of AIX have already reached the airport here. Special relief flights have been arranged from Delhi and one from Mumbai for rendering humanitarian assistance to all the passengers and their family members, the statement said.
The Emergency Response Director is coordinating with all the agencies in Kozhikode, Mumbai and Delhi for effective emergency response.
The AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) , DGCA and Flight Safety department have reached the city to investigate the accident,the statement said.
