Air India derosters pilot involved in hard landing incident in Dubai; orders probe
disastrous landing, an Air India flight was involved in a rough landing incident in Dubai on December 20, but fortunately nothing bad happened. The plane that went through the hard landing was a 5.5-year-old Airbus A320neo (VT CIQ) which did not suffer structural damage when it made the heavy landing (3.5 G) and came to a stop safely, TOI reported.
But the incident didn't go well with the Air India administration, and the pilot who was flying the aircraft has been removed from duties until the completion of the investigation. Meanwhile, the plane will remain grounded in Dubai for a week and undergo extensive checks before it is allowed to fly back to Air India's engineering base in Mumbai.
Flight tracking sites show the plane operated to Mumbai on December 27 with its cruising altitude below 10,000 feet, indicating an unpressurised ferry.
This means it came home for repairs after being allowed one landing which aircraft-makers allow after studying the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) to the airline’s engineering base as a «substandard ferry (without passengers) flight.»
An Air India spokesperson told TOI: «An investigation has already been initiated, as per DGCA norms. The pilot was appropriately trained and licensed to fly the aircraft.
He has been off-rostered till the process of inquiry is on as per norms.»
The heavy landing happened when the aircraft operated as AI 933 from Kochi to Dubai. Flight tracking websites show that the next flight was to Mumbai on December 27.
It has not flown since, as per flight tracking sites.
Senior pilots who have operated the A320 for decades told TOI: «This aircraft made a landing into Dubai exceeding the manufacturer’s landing gear structural limitation. It can cause
