Two major aviation accidents were averted today. First, 161 people on board a Mumbai-bound Jet Airways aircraft today had a miraculous escape when it skidded off the runway, made an abrupt about turn and its nose touched the soft land while taxiing for take off early today in Goa airport, leaving 12 passengers injured.

Second, two fully-loaded passenger aircraft today came face-to-face barely 40 metres away on the taxiway at the Delhi airport but providentially a disaster was averted after commanders of both the planes alerted the air traffic control and switched off their engines.

A departing SpiceJet aircraft found itself in front of from an incoming IndiGo Airbus A320 in the same taxi way allegedly due to a miscommunication from the Air Traffic Controller (ATC).

The two aircraft together had 363 passengers on board when the incident took place early in the morning.

Both SpiceJet and IndiGo confirmed the incident and said that at no point of time the safety of the passenger was in danger.

Jet aircraft

There were 154 passengers and seven crew members onboard when the Boeing 737 aircraft turned a full 360 degree on the runaway and veered towards the soft land and in the process damaging the landing gear around 5 a.m.

The nose cone was virtually on the grass abutting the runway, indicating the seriousness of the accident that could have been disastrous.

There was panic inside the aircraft as the plane jerked when it spun. The “minor” injuries to the 12 passengers came when they were being evacuated from the stricken aircraft.

The flying licence of the two pilots was suspended and a probe launched into the accident. It will be conducted by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of the Civil Aviation Ministry.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said a thorough time-bound investigation and corrective action shall be ensured. Action will be taken in case of violation of procedures, he added.

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