11 flights diverted due to MiG-29 fighter tyre burst

VASCO: As many as 11 flights were diverted after a tyre of a MiG-29 K fighter jet burst at the naval taxiway at Dabolim international airport on Tuesday afternoon.

Though no casualties were reported in the accident, the flight operations at the Dabolim airport were halted for more than three hours. Later, a crane was brought to clear disabled MiG fighter jet from the runway.

The incident occurred at around 12.20 pm when MiG-29 K fighter was about to take off for a routine sortie off from the runway, skidded off and one of the tyres burst. The incident caused a minor fire and fire tenders of the Navy and the Goa State Fire and Emergency Services rushed to the spot and put out the blaze.

The traffic on the Dabolim airport was diverted to other airports including the Mopa international airport for few hours after the incident.

Director of Goa Airport Dhanamjaya Rao said that following the incident, the airport was shut till 3:30 pm and resumed civil aircraft operations from 3:52 pm onwards.

Till then 11 flights were diverted to other airports including four flights were diverted to the Mopa international airport, it was informed.