Runway 23: Ahmedabad Airport’s Troubled History Revisited After Latest Crash

AHMEDABAD (IANS)- Ahmedabad airport’s runway 23 is once again making headlines following a plane crash on June 12, marking the second major tragedy linked to this specific runway since 1988. 

The previous incident occurred on October 19, 1988, when Indian Airlines Flight 113, en route from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, crashed while approaching runway 23. This catastrophic event resulted in the deaths of 133 out of 139 people on board, including all six crew members (two pilots and 129 passengers, five of whom were children). Notably, Professor Labdhi Bhandari of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, was among the fatalities.

Investigations into the 1988 crash concluded that pilot error was the primary cause. The inquiry found that pilots descended below the minimum altitude of 500 feet and struggled to sight the runway due to a lack of approach lights or a visual approach slope indicator.

The aircraft ultimately struck trees and a high-tension electricity tower near Chiloda Kotarpur Village, crashing approximately 2.5 km from the runway’s approach end. A court of inquiry determined the pilots attempted to land without Air Traffic Control clearance, with an inquiry panel confirming their “poor judgment due to non-adherence to laid down procedure, under poor visibility conditions.” An Ahmedabad court later ruled the pilots’ negligence amounted to “recklessness” under the Carriage by Air Act, 1972.

While the Directorate General of Civil Aviation officials are still investigating the cause of June 12 crash, the shared link to runway 23 brings its past incidents back into focus.