Turkish plane skids off runway, close escape for 238 people

KATHMANDU: Nearly 240 people on board a Turkish Airlines jet had a lucky escape when the plane missed the runway on landing in dense fog at the Kathmandu airport today and skidded onto nearby grassland.

The Airbus A330 from Istanbul skidded off after over- shooting it at the Tribhuvan International Airport as it missed the central line of the runway while landing.

There were 227 passengers and 11 crew members in the aircraft and all were safely evacuated from the emergency door without any injuries, airport authorities said.

The flight from Istanbul had both Nepalese and foreigners on board.

The Turkish Flight 726 missed the runway central alignment and landed in between the runway and taxiway that forced the aircraft to skid onto the grassy patch.

The incident happened at around 7:40 am (local time) after the aircraft took a circle in the sky before landing due to poor visibility.

Bad weather conditions and poor visibility were said to be the main reasons responsible for the incident. However, the exact cause was being investigated, spokesperson of the airport Purna Chudal said.

The front wheel and the nose of the aircraft was slightly damaged after landing.