In the Crash: What Went Wrong with the Air India Flight — Explained in Simple Terms

 

When an aircraft crashes, it's not a single error — it's sometimes a chain very sad time that have converged. That's what happened with Air India Express Flight IX-1344, which crash-landed at Kozhikode Airport in Kerala on August 7, 2020. Let's put it in simple words so that everyone can know what went wrong and what we can learn from it.

What Happened?

The plane was landing from Dubai to Kozhikode with 190 aboard, including of passengers and crew. It was a part of the Vande Bharat Mission; repatriating Indians abroad stranded because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the plane happened to slide on the runway during landing, split into two pieces, and killed 21 individuals — including the two pilots.

 

How could this have happened?

 

Weather Conditions Were Poor

The first major problem: a lot of rain. The plane tried to land in a driving rainstorm. Rain isn't intrinsically dangerous for flying — new planes are designed to drive through bad weather — but harder to land in. Rain is slick, and this lowers the friction that helps planes slow down after landing.

 

A Tabletop Runway

Kozhikode Airport is not your average airport. It features What is meant by to be a tabletop runway. That's where the runway is constructed on top of a plateau or hill, and the sides slope precipitously off. It's like coming down on an island in the air. Not much tolerance for mistakes. If An aircraft is going too fast, it can fly off the side — and that That's just what happened.

The Plane Arrived Too Far Down the Runway

Typically, an airplane should land close to the beginning of the runway so there is enough space to decelerate and come to a stop. But This aircraft touched down. way further down — almost 1,000 meters from the runway's start place. That meant less room for the pilots to slow the plane down to a stop.

 

The land from the opposite direction but aborted Its high sight was not good and there were adverse conditions. They made their second attempt by landing from the other side but landed too far down and were unable to brake in time.

 

Runway Conditions and Safety Concerns

There were already Kozhikode runway. Air traffic cops and earlier reports had stated that the The runway has to be renovated. safety areas at both ends, especially because to its tabletop nature. this aircraft crossed the runway and dropped 35 feet into a valley and disintegrated upon impact.

 

The Human Factor

The pilots were highly knowledgeable but occasionally was still a role for human decision. In flying, decision-making in high-pressure moments can make a difference in the outcome. Might the pilots have held pattern longer to wait for improved visibility? Might they have diverted to another airport? Hindsight is always better, but these are questions which were investigated in detail. by investigators.

 

Lessons Learned

Following this horrific crash, The Aviation police conducted a search. at India's tabletop runways. more closely. Airports with such configurations were re-assessed for safety. subsequently, airlines reviewed their protocols for landing in bad weather.

 

The accident is a reminder that in aviation, everything counts — weather, runway layout, pilot discretion, and airport facilities. When these don't come together, even the most sophisticated aircraft and knowledgeable crews can be headed for disaster.