Note: This is a developing story. Information will be updated constantly to ensure that you receive the most accurate information.
An Air India Express Boeing 737-800 (IX1344) coming from Dubai overrun the runway at Kozhikode Airport at 7:41 P.M. local time. Current reports show that there are 18 dead with many seriously injured. Both pilots perished in the crash. The captain was previously a decorated ex-Indian Air Force pilot before flying for mainline Air India.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the plane continued down the runway and fell 35 feet into a valley, which caused the plane to break in two.
The aircraft involved in the crash is VT-AXH, a 13.7-year-old Boeing 737-800. The aircraft was operating a flight from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Kozhikode Airport (CCJ). The flight was being operated as a repatriation flight for Indian citizens stuck in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
On the aircraft, there were 174 passengers, 10 infants, 2 pilots, and 4 crew members.
Reports indicate that the aircraft conducted a go-around, before landing on Runway 10, overrunning the runway, and shooting into a valley where it broke in 2. Before the crash, the airport experienced rain, with the temperature being around 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with winds blowing from the southwest at about 6 miles per hour. Clouds as low as 300 feet were also reported, which could have possibly influenced the crash.
Investigators have recovered the black box and cockpit voice recorder of the aircraft.
Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, tweeted that his thoughts and condolences are with all those affected. He and officials in Kerala are currently conducting an investigation on what exactly caused the plane to break into two separate parts.
Air India Express experienced a similar runway overrun in 2010 on Air India Express Flight 812. Air India Express Flight #812 operating from Dubai to Mangalore continued an unstabilized approach before overrunning the runway and falling down a hillside before bursting into flames. In that crash, 152 passengers died and only 8 survived.
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