Thiruvananthapuram: In the wake of the Emirates aircraft mishap at the Dubai airport, the authorities at the Thiruvananthapuram airport, from where the ill-fated aircraft originated, have preserved all the details required for the probe into the accident. These include the communication details of the air traffic control with the aircraft, fuel sample, cargo X-rays and other relevant information.
According to airport sources, the officials of the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation are expected to reach the airport here anytime to collect the information, which are relevant for the probe.
Though the probe will be carried out by the aviation regulatory agency of Dubai, airport director George Tharakan said that all steps as per the standard operating procedures in the wake of a flight originating from an airport were swiftly initiated. Though the airline opened an assistance centre at the Thiruvananthapuram airport, no one had turned up.
According to airport sources, various mandatory certificates issued by the Emirates ground engineers before the flight took off, communication between the pilot and the air traffic control unit of the city airport, sample of the fuel taken, X-ray images of the baggage, details of the engineers and others involved in the checks on the flight before its takeoff and the details of the passengers who boarded the aircraft were preserved for probe.
Passenger recounts experience
Kochi: It was one hell of an experience for Gigi George, who was going back to Dubai after the vacation with his wife and two children. “We felt as if the flight tried to land, then take off and land back,” he told DC from Dubai.
“I was on the same side of the flight where the engine and wings got damaged while landing. We felt the plane crashlanded. The front portion of the plane was immediately filled with smoke.”
The crew immediately arranged for the evacuation of the passengers, Mr George, a manager with a private company, said. “They helped passengers escape though the slide,” he said.
“People came to the rear side as the front portion was filled with smoke. The evacuation process was over in under five minutes.” Some, especially the aged, suffered minor injuries in the process.
