Two SpiceJet pilots grounded after plane skids off Mumbai runway

Aviation regulatory body  Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has grounded two SpiceJet pilots after a plane carrying 183 passengers overshot a wet runway while landing at the Mumbai airport earlier this week.

With the Boeing 737 aircraft, flying from Varanasi to Mumbai, stuck in the mud, the main runway had to be closed for over 24 hours leading to nearly 180 flights being cancelled.

"The pilots have been grounded pending an inquiry. One of the issues is that if the aircraft is not stabilised, then you should do a go-around. The DGCA has also issued a circular informing pilots that there will be no inquiry against them if they do a go-around. All those issues will have to be established," an official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will probe the incident.

A go-around refers to the procedure when a pilot aborts landing, flies the plane to a suitable height and prepares for another landing approach.

This is resorted to in situations like obstruction on the runway, lack of clearance for landing, or when a pilot is unable to establish a visual reference.

According to DGCA rules, since a go-around is a precautionary measure, it "does not call for any punitive action either by the Air Operator or the DGCA".

The DGCA also doesn't require such an incident to be reported.

The regulatory body also says that "pilots need to be encouraged to go-around when flight parameters or environmental conditions preclude a safe approach and landing".

The operations at the main runway resumed late Wednesday night after the the SpiceJet plane was moved to a paved area and subsequently a hangar.