Four runway excursions in India in 72 hours as SpiceJet Boeing 737-800 hits runway edge lights

On 2 July, a SpiceJet Boeing 737-800 (VT-SYI) operated domestic flight SG-275 from Pune to Kolkata, India. During landing at Kolkata, the aircraft veered right and contacted four runway edge lights. The crew was able to steer back the aircraft onto the center line and continued to the apron. Passengers safely disembarked the aircraft. 

SpiceJet said that the aircraft veered right due to heavy rain and a wet runway. It’s the fourth runway excursion and the third for SpiceJet in 72 hours.

On Wednesday, the director general of Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that all aircraft should refrain from landing with “unstabilised approach” while experiencing adverse weather conditions and initiate a go around, non adherence to which will invite punitive action.

The DGCA had in a communique on Tuesday asked airlines to make available sufficiently experienced crew in the cockpit and that crew rostering should factor in fatigue element associated with the operations during adverse weather conditions.

Sources:

• India Express B738 at Mangalore on Jun 30th 2019, runway excursion on landing (The Aviation Herald)
• DGCA issues safety instructions after SpiceJet skids off the runway (The Print)