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Accident averted at Ranchi airport: Bird hit during take-off leads to fire in engine of AirAsia flight

A big accident was averted at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport on Saturday. Loud noise followed by sparks was observed from an AirAsia flight which was taking off from the airport. This occurred due to a bird hit. The pilot applied the emergency brake to stop the plane.

Accident averted at Ranchi airport Bird hit during take-off leads to fire in engine of AirAsia flight
Author
Ranchi, First Published Aug 8, 2020, 4:56 PM IST

Ranchi: A major accident was averted at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport on Saturday. Loud noise followed by sparks was observed from an AirAsia flight which was taking off from the airport, after encountering a bird hit. The pilot applied the emergency brake to stop the plane. For the moment, the technical team is investigating the incident. The airport director said that the 180-seater aircraft after getting due clearance was taking off when it was hit by a bird. All the passengers are safe. Last year too, two cases of bird hits came to light.

The AirAsia flight 176 was on its way to Mumbai. It is being speculated that the bird hit caused sparks in the engine of the aircraft. For the moment the technical team is investigating the issue. After the investigation, it will be decided whether the aircraft is fit to take off again. All passengers on board have been safely evacuated.

People outside the airport who are able to see landings and take-offs, said that on Saturday morning, the AirAsia aircraft was moving slowly on the runway. All of a sudden, sparks started flying, after which a loud noise was heard from the aircraft. But the aircraft stopped immediately.

Meat shops near the airport are considered the biggest reason for bird hits. Selling of meat is prohibited within a 3km radius of any airport. But a fresh meat market is present in Birsa Chowk, near Vidhan Sabha; the sector-2 market of Hinu Chowk, near the airport. The birds are attracted to the meat market by the smell of it. Hence chances of bird hits are always high in the area.

On Friday evening, an Air India Express flight under the Vande Bharat rescue mission, from Dubai to Kozhikode, at the time of landing, skidded off the runway and fell in a 35-feet deep gorge. The flight had 180 passengers and 6 crew members on board. Two pilots and 21 passengers have been killed in the accident. 127 people are being treated in various hospitals in Kozhikode. 22 people are in critical condition.

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