A day after 18 people were killed in a plane crash in Kerala�s Kozhikode, a pilot who claims to work for IndiGo said he shared specific safety concerns with authorities about the runway at the Karipur airport. In a Facebook post that has gone viral, pilot Anand Mohan Raj claimed that the airport�s �runway guidance lighting system is very poor� and �braking conditions is not monitored regularly (sic)�.

He also wrote that it�s a nightmare for pilots to land on a tabletop runway, especially at night and under heavy rain and wind conditions.

�Have made feedback to the concerned authorities right after many landing in the last years. Safety is the first word in aviation. Rest in Peace Capt Deepak Sathe & Capt Akhilesh. heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their dear ones,� he wrote.

At least 18 people, including the pilot and co-pilot, were killed, and around 100 injured when an Air India Express flight from Dubai skidded off the table-top runway in Kozhikode on Friday evening. The aircraft, with 190 people on board, was attempting to land in bad weather when it shot the runway around 7.40 pm and split into two after nosediving into a valley 35 feet below.

Meanwhile, Air India Express on Saturday said that the four cabin crew members of the flight were safe. �The four cabin crew members are confirmed safe,� Air India Express said in a bulletin. The bulletin added that the crew suffered some injuries and are under treatment at the Kozhikode hospital.

air india plane crash, kerala news, air india news, air india plane crash today, air india plane accident, air india aircraft crash, air india aircraft crash news, air india plane crash in kerala, air india plane crash in kerala today, air india plane crash news, kerala plane crash latest news, kerala plane crash news, kerala plane crash today news, kerala news, karachi news update The aircraft, with 190 people on board, was attempting to land in bad weather when it shot the runway around 7.40 pm
Pilot Deepak Vasanth Sathe, who died along with co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar, was a former Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force and had served with its flight testing wing. Officials said he had also flown often to the Kozhikode sector.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Friday said a formal inquiry will be conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau into the accident. �All efforts are being made to help passengers. A formal enquiry will be conducted by AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau),� the minister said on Twitter.