Pune: Passengers on board an Air India Express flight from Bhubaneswar to Pune survived a major scare on Saturday evening after the pilot aborted the landing after spotting a stray dog on the runway. The aircraft was barely 100-150 feet from the ground when the pilot decided to pull up.
The incident comes weeks after the sighting of a leopard close to the runway of the Pune airport on April 29. Cages were placed to capture the leopard thereafter.
According to The Times of India, Saturday’s incident occurred around 6 pm. The stray dog entered the runway just as Air India Express flight IX 1097 from Bhubaneswar was preparing to land. The aircraft had descended to an altitude of around 100-150 feet when the pilot spotted the animal and took evasive action.
Animals on or near airport runways can pose serious risks to aircraft during take-offs and landings. Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke has, however, said that he has not received any information about the incident. According to him, the authorities regularly inspect the grounds to prevent such incidents and have issued at least three notices to the Pune Municipal Corporation to collect garbage promptly, as it attracts birds and stray dogs.
Dhoke may not be in the know as the runway at Pune airport belongs to and is controlled by the Lohegaon Air Force Station though the civil enclave allows commercial airlines to operate flights.
Officials said that the pilot acted swiftly, aborted the landing, and took the aircraft back into the air to ensure the safety of passengers. Had the plane been any lower, it may have been difficult to bring the situation under control. After the dog was safely removed from the runway, the flight landed without any mishap, though delayed by nearly an hour, an official said.
The incident has raised questions about flight safety at airports. Pune airport has been dealing with unusual bird and stray dog activities for some time now. On June 21, an Air India flight was involved in a bird strike incident, officials said.
