Passengers at Patna airport have a close shave

Eighty five passengers travelling from Patna to Hyderabad via Delhi had a close shave here on Thursday when their Indigo flight 6E-385 suffered a bird-hit on the runway of Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport.

The incident took place when the aircraft was about to take off for Delhi. “The passengers were eventually offered either full refund or adjusted in other Indigo flights,” an aviation source told Deccan Herald here on Thursday. This was the second incident in recent times when air passengers had a providential escape at the Patna airport.

In 2011, life of 336 people was put at risk when the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the airport reportedly goofed up and gave clearance to Patna-Bangalore Indigo flight (6E-342) to take off, while simultaneously asked a Delhi-Patna Kingfisher plane (IT-3347) to land from the opposite direction. Timely application of mind by a flight commander averted an imminent collision between the two aircraft.The incident had taken place when the Indigo flight was rolling to take off (from eastern end) and the KFA  aircraft was about to land from the western end.