Bangalore-Mumbai plane makes emergency landing

The inclement weather refused to relent, making the towing away of the skidded Turkish aircraft difficult.

All the 137 passengers including crew members aboard SpiceJet flight-SG 344 were safe.

Technical snag

Talking to Deccan Herald, Anindita Sinha of Mumbai International Airport Ltd said the captain of the aircraft suspected a snag in the craft’s hydraulic section.

Flights which were disrupted following the skidding of the Turkish aircraft, on Friday, had a cascading effect and throughout the day domestic flights departing and arriving at Mumbai airport continued to witness delay between 30 minutes to an hour.

In the wee hours of Friday, the Istanbul-Mumbai, Turkish Airlines flight, slid off the rapid exit runway while landing and ended up at the grassy bay adjacent to the airport fencing due to heavy rains. All 104 passengers, including crew were safely evacuated.

Salvaging operation

While the salvaging operations were reportedly on throughout the night, continuous downpour made the grassy bay muddy, making the towing extremely difficult.

Sinha said, it would be impossible to determine as to when the salvaging team would be able to extricate the craft without causing much damage.

“And though we were hoping to open the main runway but it seems looking at the weather that it would continue to remain closed till further notice,” she informed
“In all probability rescheduling of flights may take place even on Sunday,” she added