IndiGo said both the pilots have been taken off from flight duty with immediate effect. (Representational Image)
Highlights
- Incident took place in Feb, flight was minutes from landing in Jaipur
- Proximity warning system went off when the plane got too close to road
- Pilots landed plane safely but their licenses have been suspended by DGCA
Several passengers and others were endangered when an IndiGo aircraft flew close to a road near the Jaipur Airport in February, mistaking it for the runway.
The pilots have been grounded by aviation regulator DGCA or the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The incident took place on February 27 when the IndiGo Flight 6E-237 from Ahmedabad was minutes away from landing at the Jaipur airport.
Sources said the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System went off in the cockpit when the plane moved perilously close to the road, descending at a great speed.
Soon after the warning, the pilots managed a go-around and landed safely at the airport.
The DGCA has suspended the flying licenses of the pilots, the sources said.
IndiGo operates 180-seater planes.
When contacted, IndiGo said the flight 6E-237 was involved in "EGPWS Too Low Terrain" warning during visual approach at runway 27 at Jaipur airport.
"The captain-in-command immediately took a precautionary measure and carried a go-around. The aircraft landed safely on subsequent ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach on runway 27," it said in a statement.
IndiGo said it reported the matter to the regulator and both pilots were taken off flight duties.
Earlier this month, a New Delhi-bound IndiGo flight from Vadodara with 177 passengers on board made an emergency landing at the city airport due to a technical fault.