Police vehicle strays onto runway, pilot averts mishap

TIMELY INTERVENTION: Had the pilot not shown alertness and presence of mind, the straying jeep could have spelt disaster for the mammoth plane

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New Delhi:Yet another accident waiting to happen at the Delhi international airport on Sunday, September 7 has been averted.

A police vehicle meant for President Patil, who was to arrive from Amravati, strayed on to runway number 27.

Fortunately, the pilot of the Lucknow-bound Kingfisher plane that had started taxiing on the runway for a scheduled 7.50 pm flight, spotted the red beacon and aborted the take off.

The accident was averted as the pilot of IT 653 showed alertness and presence of mind. The flight that had 94 passengers on board, finally took off after some delay, only at 8.15.

It is not the first time that vehicles, people or animals have strayed into the path of planes taking off at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport.

On August 21, 2008 for instance, a dog had a long run on the runway before the Boeing 777 was to land.

And that, incidentally was to have been a memorable day for the airport when it was testing one of the longest runways in Asia.