15 Injured as Passenger Plane Skids Off Runaway in India

An Indian plane carrying 161 passengers and crew skidded off the runway at Goa airport early Tuesday, injuring 15 people. The Indian Navy, which runs the airport in western India, said it was not yet clear what caused the Jet Airways plane to veer off the runway.

    The incident took place when a Mumbai-bound flight of private airline Jet Airways, which had arrived from Dubai, was about to take off from Goa's Dabolim airport. As the pilots aborted the take-off, the flight spun 360 degrees.

    In a statement, Jet Airways said that its Goa to Mumbai flight (9W 2374) veered off the runway while aligning for take-off. "All guests and crew have been safely evacuated. Few guests have sustained injuries during the evacuation process and medical assistance is being coordinated by the Jet Airways team and the airport authorities," it added. 

    Local TV channels beamed footage of cellphone shots taken by airport staff and some passengers, which showed that the aircraft's landing gear had completely collapsed, as it sat on its fuselage stuck in the mud. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation has initiated a probe into the mishap, a senior aviation official said.

Source: QNA