Flight averts Calcutta runway scar

Calcutta: A Delhi-Calcutta Jet Airways flight was preparing to land just after noon when the ground staff member posted to shoo away birds noticed that a portion of the primary runway had peeled off.
The bird watcher immediately sounded the alarm. The primary runway was promptly shut down and flight 9W-922 was told not to touch down.
“A chunk of around 16 square feet on the primary runway had peeled off. The Delhi-Calcutta Jet flight was preparing to land when this was noticed. Anything could have happened if the wheels would have hit that uneven patch.... A tragedy was averted,” said an airport official.
Flight 9W-922 remained airborne as the secondary runway was also congested.
“We informed the pilot about the congestion on the other runway. The plane was kept in the air for around 10 minutes before the secondary runway was cleared and the flight landed safely,” said an airport official.
The airport authorities have launched an investigation to ascertain why the runway surface had peeled off.
An airport official said that the runway might have been “softened” by the rains and the wheels of an aircraft could have caused the damage.
19/07/07 The Telegraph

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Categories: Airports Jul 2007, Jet Airways Jul 2007, Safety Jul 2007