Mumbai Runway Incursion: A Close Call Amidst Aviation Safety Concerns

Strategic Insights -

A potentially fatal runway incursion on Wednesday night at the Mumbai airport was averted when the air traffic controller instructed a Jet Airways Boeing 737 to abort landing due to the presence of an IndiGo Airbus 320 jet on the runway. The incident highlights the urgent need for a surface movement radar (SMR) in Mumbai airport, a safety aid that tracks aircraft, vehicle, and personnel movement on the ground, especially in low-visibility conditions.

Key Takeaways:

  • An IndiGo Airbus 320 entered the runway when a Jet Airways Boeing 737 was cleared to land, with the two aircraft passing within 1.8km of each other at an altitude of over 1,000 feet.
  • The incident was caused by a technical problem with the taxiway lights on N1, which were working intermittently.
  • The air traffic controller instructed the Jet Airways commander to perform a go-around, and the aircraft swished past the IndiGo plane safely.
  • The incident highlights the need for a surface movement radar (SMR) in Mumbai airport, a safety aid that tracks aircraft, vehicle, and personnel movement on the ground.
  • The SMR equipment has been procured but not yet installed, despite the DGCA's recommendation to install it following a near-miss incident involving President Pratibha Patil's IAF squadron last year.
  • The Mumbai airport general manager, air traffic control, M G Junghare, stated that the IndiGo flight 6E 415 was instructed to go down runway 14, but it went straight ahead and entered the point of intersection between the secondary runway and main runway.
  • The Jet Airways flight 9W 616 from Kolkata was cleared for landing on main runway 27 and was on its final approach when the tower controller instructed its commander to do a go-around.

Statistics:

  • 230 passengers were on board the two flights, which were put to a halt after the close call.
  • The incident occurred at 9:04 pm on Wednesday night.
  • The Jet Airways Boeing 737 was 1 nautical mile from touchdown at an altitude of 400 feet when the tower controller instructed its commander to do a go-around.
  • The IndiGo Airbus 320 had overshot taxiway N1, which had intermittent lights due to a technical problem.

Sources:

  • Times of India report, "Mumbai airport runway incursion: IndiGo plane enters runway, air traffic controller saves day" (published on [undated])
  • DGCA investigating the incident (published on [undated])
  • Jet Airways spokesperson statement (published on [undated])
  • IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh statement (published on [undated])
  • Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL) spokesperson statement (published on [undated])