In an unfortunate incident, a private aircraft carrying eight people veered off the runway of Mumbai Airport. It was a private Bombardier Learjet aircraft and the incident took place around 5:02 pm but was reported by the Mumbai Fire Brigade at 5:45 pm. Here are the details of what happened with the aircraft at the airport.
Private Aircraft Veered Off The Mumbai Airport Runway And Split Into Two
There were a total of 8 people — 6 passengers and 2 crew members— onboard the aircraft which was travelling from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai. Due to intense rain in the city, the VSR Aviation Learjet 45 VT-DBL skidded off the runway as it was making its taxiway.
According to visuals circulating on social media, mainly WhatsApp, the plane split in two and fire broke out. However, no casualties were reported. A Learjet 45 operated by VSR Ventures, registration number VT-DBL, experienced a runway excursion (veer off) while making a landing on runway 27 at the Mumbai airport.
The DGCA confirmed that there were 2 staff members and 6 passengers on board. With heavy rain, visibility was 700 meters. There have been videos and images of the incident circulating on social media.
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Official Statement From CSMIA Spokesperson
A CSMIA spokesperson told Curly Tales, “On 14.09.2023, M/s VSR Ventures Learjet 45 aircraft VT-DBL operating flight from Vizag to Mumbai with 06 passengers and 02 crew members on board, veered off the runway at Mumbai International Airport. The incident occurred at approximately 17:08 pm today. There are no casualties. CSMIA’s airside team is on-ground to assist with the clearance on-site.”
An updated statement stated that, referring to the event on September 14, 2023, M/s VSR Ventures Learjet 45 VT-DBL was flying a flight from Vizag to Mumbai. After all safety inspections were completed, the runway became operational at 18:47 hours after receiving regulatory clearance. When the problem arose, CSMIA reacted right away with the assistance of numerous parties.
It further read, the swift execution of rescue operations resulted in zero casualties, securing the airside with immediate removal of debris, safeguarding the well-being of all passengers, and restoring normal operations during peak hours. They also thanked the regulatory bodies, including CISF, Airports Authority of India-ATC, Aerodrome Rescue & Fire Fighting (ARFF) team, Airside Operations, Ground Handling Agencies, MIAL Medical Team, and Mumbai Fire Brigade.
According to the airport authorities, it wasn’t a crash but a skid and the runway is operational. Further, all the departures and arrivals are as per schedule and there are no casualties.
However, the Hindustan Times has reported that three individuals have been hospitalised with injuries, according to Mumbai disaster authority. They were rushed to Andheri’s Criticare Asia Hospital and are admitted there. The individuals had minor injuries, according to the medical professionals who were treating them, but they were all in shock.
This is a developing story and details of the incident are still being released.
Cover Image Courtesy: Social Media