DGCA grounds 12 pilots after several incidents on flights overshooting runway

Aviation regulator DGCA has grounded 12 pilots and served show-cause notices to them after six cases of aircraft veering off runway or taxiway were reported recently, a senior official said Thursday.

SpiceJet, Air India Express and GoAir have been involved in three, two and one such incidents, respectively, in the past few days, prompting the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to take action against the 12 pilots.

The action comes even as the main runway at Mumbai airport remains shut after a SpiceJet plane from Jaipur veered off it when landing amid heavy rainfall on Monday night and got stuck in the adjacent grass area.

On June 30, another SpiceJet plane from Bhopal veered off the runway at Surat airport due to heavy rainfall and wind.

A SpiceJet spokesperson told PTI that the "pilots involved in both incidents which happened in Mumbai and Surat have been suspended as per the directions of the DGCA".

On July 2, another SpiceJet plane veered off its path on the runway when landing at Kolkata airport, damaging four lights. On the same day, an Air India Express flight coming from Dammam had a tail strike while landing at Calicut airport.

Another Air India Express flight veered off the taxiway after landing and got stuck in soft ground at the Mangalore airport on June 30.

An Air India Express spokesperson told PTI that its "Four pilots have been de-rostered as per the instructions of the DGCA." However, no show-cause notice has been issued to its pilots by the aviation regulator as yet, the spokesperson added.

On June 30, a GoAir flight coming from Bengaluru had a tail strike while landing at Ranchi airport.

The GoAir spokesperson told PTI, "Pursuant to the incident (at Ranchi airport), proactively, GoAir has put the pilots off-duty and we are investigating the matter further.