No defect in crashed plane: Praful Patel

MANGALORE - Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, who arrived here to access the situation following the crash of the Air India Express Flight from Dubai to Mangalore, said the plane overshot the runway, and there was no defect in it.

“The two pilots had over 1,000 hours of flying experience. The pilots were experienced and familiar with the terrain,” said Patel.

“The runway visibility stood at six kilometers when the incident took place. The visibility was normal. The ATC signal was also clear,” he added.

Patel further confirmed that 158 people had died in the crash and that there were eight survivors.

“There were 137 adults, 19 children, four infants and six crew members on board,” Patel said.

“Only eight survived. Four passengers sustained minor injuries. hree are severely injured,” he added.

The Civil Aviation Minister also announced a compensation of Rs 75 lakhs to the family of the dead.

Earlier this morning, Patel had briefed the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, about the rescue operations that were being carried out at the crash site.

It was also reported this morning that the pilot of the aircraft failed to signal or announce an emergency landing, which is being cited as a factor leading to the crash.

Meanwhile, a probe team from Mumbai will arrive in Mangalore today to inspect the crash site and determine the cause of the mishap.

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, have expressed shock and grief over the grievous loss of life resulting from the Air India Express crash. (ANI)