- SpiceJet’s Chennai-Calicut flight was landing amid very heavy rainfall and strong winds.
- When the other side of landing gear touched down, ‘aquaplaning’ happened and this wheel went out of runway
- Aquaplaning happens when the moving wheel of an aircraft loses contact with the runway surface
NEW DELHI: A SpiceJet turboprop with about 60 passengers on
board skidded off the runway after landing in Calicut on Friday. Deft handling
of the situation by the pilots saw the plane getting back on the runway,
preventing what could otherwise have been a bad accident.
This scare happened when SpiceJet's Chennai-Calicut flight
was landing amid very heavy rainfall and strong winds. "One side of the rear
landing gear touched down first on landing due to strong winds. When the other
side touched down, 'aquaplaning' happened and this wheel went out of runway.
The pilots handled the situation well and immediately managed to bring the
plane to the runway centre line," said a source.
Some runway lights were reportedly broken when the plane
skidded and went off the airstrip. Once the pilots managed to bring the plane
back on the runway, they stopped it safely and the shaken passengers were
evacuated. While the airport rushed emergency vehicles to the spot, there were
no injuries.
Aquaplaning happens when the moving wheel of an aircraft
loses contact with the runway surface on which it is rolling due to a layer of
water or snow coming in between. Due to this, brakes applied on wheels are
unable to reduce the plane's ground speed. Experienced pilots make a slightly
heavier than usual landing on wet surfaces to ensure wheels are able to break
the layer of water and the rubber establishes contact with the runway surface.
