First attempt failed; accident happened on second attempt

Our Correspondent

The first landing attempt of the Air India Express AXB1344, B737 flying from Dubai to Calicut, with 191 people on board, that later crashed at Karipur had failed due to heavy rain and lack of light. When the first landing failed and the second landing was attempted, the tragedy occurred. The brilliant pilot Sethi could not succeed in landing it safely. The plane fell down 35 feet and landed on its nose with a loud bang, killing 19 people so far.

Many pilots had refused to land a large plane at Karipur when the airport was first opened. It is one of the few table-top airports in India. Later, the length of the runway was increased and modern lighting arrangements were made for night landing.

Most of the passengers were families who had returned home with their families after Eid Al Adha festival, children who had returned home for school holidays in the Gulf, and those who had lost their jobs.