Nepal Crash Puts Spotlight On Table-Top Runways Risk, India Has 5 Of Them
NDTV
Five airports in India have table-top runways and two of them have reported crashes big in the past
The plane crash in Nepal that left 18 people dead has yet again put the spotlight on table-top runways that have been the site of major plane accidents across the world.
Table-top runways are located on an elevated level than the surrounding terrain. This means there is a steep drop on one or more sides of the runway and this leaves a very slim margin of error for the pilot because if the plane overshoots the runway, it will crash down.
Five airports in India have table-top runways -- Shimla, Calicut, Mangalore, Lengpui (Mizoram) and Pakyong (Sikkim). Of these, Kerala and Mangalore airports have seen big crashes in the past. On May 22, 2010, Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai to Mangaluru crashed on landing at and 158 passengers, including six crew members, were killed.
