The tail of a Patna-bound Jet Airways aircraft struck the wingtip of another flight headed for Srinagar on Sunday afternoon at the Delhi airport. The damaged aircraft was grounded and pilots de-rostered for a probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Officials of the aviation regulator, DGCA told The Hindu that both the aircrafts involved in the incident belonged to Jet Airways. While one was 9W-730 scheduled for a 2.45 p.m. departure to Patna, the other was flight 9W-603 which had a scheduled departure of 2.50 p.m. to Srinagar.
At around 2.40 p.m. both the aircraft were given the same taxi clearance by the Air Traffic Control (ATC) that allowed them to start moving. The Srinagar flight was ahead in line, but the pilot of the Patna flight requested a change in taxiing position and this was given by the ATC.
As the aircraft moved forward, passing the one ahead, it struck the wingtip of the Srinagar flight breaking it off. As per DGCA rules, given the structural damage suffered, both the aircrafts were grounded and passengers taken back to the terminal as the airline made alternate arrangements for their travel.
“The incident indicates that the pilot of the Patna flight was not cautious enough in maintaining separation. We have initiated a probe,” a DGCA official said. Delhi Police’s DCP (airport) Sanjay Bhatia informed that no passenger was injured in the incident. On board the Srinagar flight were a group 40 tourists from Thailand who said they were now waiting for another aircraft to be made available.
In a statement, a Jet Airways spokesperson said, “Two Jet Airways flights - 9W 603 from Delhi to Srinagar and 9W 730 from Delhi – Patna, were involved in a ground incident during taxi while preparing for departure from IGI Airport on May 07, 2017. All guests and crew on board both aircraft are safe and are being taken to the terminal for re-accommodation in subsequent flights. The aircraft are currently being inspected by the Jet Airways engineering team. The airline has reported the event to the regulatory authorities. Both sets of crew have been de-rostered pending investigation.”
