Mishap Averted As Air India Flight Hits Pole While Landing At Vijayawada Airport, All Passengers Safe

The flight met with an accident on the runway as it was heading towards bay number 5 and rammed into to the electrical pole. The untoward incident, which took place due to a wrong turn, led to a minor damage to the flight’s wing.

Air India Express flight which hit an electric pole while landing at Vijayawada International Airport at Gannavaram near Vijayawada. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: In what could have been a major mishap, an Air India Express flight from Doha to Vijayawada hit an electric pole on the runaway after landing on Saturday evening. The flight met with an accident on the runway as it was heading towards bay number 5 and rammed into to the electrical pole.

The untoward incident, which took place due to a wrong turn, led to a minor damage to the flight’s wing. All the 64 passengers on board were reported to be safe and evacuated. 

“While taxiing, the aircraft hit the pole there and the pole has fallen down and minor damage to the wing,” IANS quoted Vijayawada Airport Director Giri Madhusudan Rao as saying.

Rao further said Vijayawada was the flight’s arriving point where many passengers would terminate their journey. According to reports, 19 of the 64 passengers on board were scheduled to de-board at the Vijayawada International Airport.

Rao added another aircraft was being arranged for some passengers to ferry them to Trichy.

The airport authorities have launched a probe into the incident, which occurred at around 4:49 p.m. It may be recalled here that a leopard was suspected to have been sighted at the Hyderabad international airport a few days back.