<p>Passengers aboard a Jet Airways flight en route to Mumbai from Goa had a miraculous escape in the early hours of Tuesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The aircraft turned a full 360 degrees and veered off the runway while aligning for takeoff, before coming to a halt on the soft land nose down. There were 154 passengers and seven crew members on board the Boeing 737 aircraft.<br /><br />The nose cone was virtually on the grass abutting the runway, about 250-300 metres away, indicating the seriousness of the accident that could have been disastrous.<br /><br />There was panic inside the aircraft as the plane jerked when it spun. The landing gear was damaged in the accident.<br /><br />A passenger told reporters: “When people were getting down from the plane, the escape chute suddenly tilted forward triggering panic and chaos.” This resulted in minor injuries to 15 passengers.<br /><br />A highly-placed officer in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said: “Prima facie the accident appears to be pilots’ fault. The DGCA has withdrawn the flying privileges of two pilots, including the commander, pending initial outcome of the probe.”<br /><br />A probe will be conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. A source in New Delhi said the AAIB has rushed a three-member team to the spot to begin the probe. A source in the AAIB also said that in all “probability,” the accident took place because of the pilots’ fault, adding, “We will get to know the actual cause of the accident only after the initial report is submitted.” Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said a thorough time-bound investigation and corrective action will be ensured.<br /><br />The preliminary findings are likely to be submitted in a week’s time. Seven of the injured have been discharged from hospital, Jet Airways stated, adding that normal operations to and from Goa have resumed. A Jet Airways spokesperson said: “Jet Airways is fully cooperating with various authorities, including the DGCA and AAIB.”<br /><br />Navy’s prompt response<br /><br />A naval spokesperson said: “The navy responded within 15-20 minutes and all the passengers were evacuated safely from the aircraft. It would have turned into a catastrophe had the navy not acted promptly”.<br /><br />“After the passengers were evacuated, the operation to rescue the aircraft started,” he said. The runway was made available for flight operations at 9 am, hours before the initial deadline of 12.30 pm. Seven scheduled flights were cancelled, while one scheduled flight and another chartered flight remained grounded.</p>
<p>Passengers aboard a Jet Airways flight en route to Mumbai from Goa had a miraculous escape in the early hours of Tuesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The aircraft turned a full 360 degrees and veered off the runway while aligning for takeoff, before coming to a halt on the soft land nose down. There were 154 passengers and seven crew members on board the Boeing 737 aircraft.<br /><br />The nose cone was virtually on the grass abutting the runway, about 250-300 metres away, indicating the seriousness of the accident that could have been disastrous.<br /><br />There was panic inside the aircraft as the plane jerked when it spun. The landing gear was damaged in the accident.<br /><br />A passenger told reporters: “When people were getting down from the plane, the escape chute suddenly tilted forward triggering panic and chaos.” This resulted in minor injuries to 15 passengers.<br /><br />A highly-placed officer in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said: “Prima facie the accident appears to be pilots’ fault. The DGCA has withdrawn the flying privileges of two pilots, including the commander, pending initial outcome of the probe.”<br /><br />A probe will be conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. A source in New Delhi said the AAIB has rushed a three-member team to the spot to begin the probe. A source in the AAIB also said that in all “probability,” the accident took place because of the pilots’ fault, adding, “We will get to know the actual cause of the accident only after the initial report is submitted.” Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said a thorough time-bound investigation and corrective action will be ensured.<br /><br />The preliminary findings are likely to be submitted in a week’s time. Seven of the injured have been discharged from hospital, Jet Airways stated, adding that normal operations to and from Goa have resumed. A Jet Airways spokesperson said: “Jet Airways is fully cooperating with various authorities, including the DGCA and AAIB.”<br /><br />Navy’s prompt response<br /><br />A naval spokesperson said: “The navy responded within 15-20 minutes and all the passengers were evacuated safely from the aircraft. It would have turned into a catastrophe had the navy not acted promptly”.<br /><br />“After the passengers were evacuated, the operation to rescue the aircraft started,” he said. The runway was made available for flight operations at 9 am, hours before the initial deadline of 12.30 pm. Seven scheduled flights were cancelled, while one scheduled flight and another chartered flight remained grounded.</p>