The Air India aircraft that had skidded off the runway while landing at Agatti in Lakshadweep, returned to Kochi on Sunday. The aircraft will fly to Chennai for a detailed check at the airline's hangar there.
Officials said that the aircraft, with eight passengers as well as crew members on board, landed here under a partial emergency as it flew under Minimum Equipment Limitations (MEL). It landed safely by 2.10 p.m. even as the security and rescue officials were ready to face any contingency, they said.
“The flight AI 9502 operated after receiving the nod from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) based on a report of airworthiness as submitted by the airline engineer,'' said an airline spokesperson.
A major accident was averted on Friday when the ATR aircraft skidded off the runway soon after it touched down the tarmac at Agathi and got stuck in an area of heavy undergrowth. It had 20 passengers apart from 4 crew members, but no one sustained any injury during the incident.
“It needs to be checked whether the jet engine sucked some slush into it,'' the spokesperson said.
The incident also forced the closure of the airport till Saturday as the aircraft had been kept on the runway after restoring it for a check-up. The DGCA has launched an investigation into the incident.
