By IANS,
Panaji : As many as 356 passengers on board a Moscow-bound Trans-Aero flight had a narrow escape when the chartered aircraft brushed against the wings of another plane at Goa’s Dabolim airport Sunday afternoon, officials said.
The incident occurred at 2.30 p.m., when the Moscow-bound flight was on the runway, readying for the take-off, they said.
The flight’s right wing brushed against the tail wing of another chartered flight from Britain, the officials said.
The passengers were immediately evacuated, they said, adding no casualties were reported and all passengers on board the Trans-Aero flight were safe.
However, both flights were grounded on the runway, blocking the outgoing traffic.
“We are using the alternate runway for outgoing flights now. The runway is being cleared on a priority basis,” an official said.
Hundreds of chartered flights from Germany, Russia and Britain use the paramilitary airport facility at Dabolim every year from October to March, Goa’s tourist season. This year nearly 700 chartered and scheduled flights are expected to land in Goa.