Flight Details
Aircraft Type: Avions de Transport Régional ATR 72-212A
Operator: Alliance Air
Registration: VT-RKF
Flight Number: 9I-746
Route: Rourkela Airport (RRK), India to Bhubaneswar Biju Patnaik International Airport (VEBS), India
Date of Incident: 8 October 2024
Total Occupants: 43 passengers, 4 crew members
Weather Conditions: Heavy rain, low visibility (reported as low as 500 metres)
Introduction
On 8 October 2024, an Alliance Air ATR 72-212A performing flight 9I-746 from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar, India, suffered a significant runway undershoot while on final approach to runway 14. During final descent, the aircraft collided with approach lighting infrastructure, touched down 43.5 metres before the runway threshold, and experienced a tail strike upon landing. No injuries were reported, and the aircraft taxied to the apron under its own power.
The event was classified as a serious incident under ICAO Annex 13 definitions, prompting a formal investigation by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
Sequence of Events
The incident unfolded during a routine scheduled service operated by Alliance Air, with the aircraft, VT-RKF, having already completed four uneventful sorties earlier in the day.
After departing Rourkela, the aircraft approached Bhubaneswar amidst challenging weather conditions characterised by:
Low cloud ceilings Poor horizontal visibility Intermittent heavy rainfall
Approaching Bhubaneswar, Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructed VT-RKF to hold at 10 DME ILS due to weather-related traffic congestion. During the holding period, ATC briefed the flight crew on deteriorating meteorological conditions, which included heavy rain showers and visibility fluctuating around 800 metres.
Subsequently, ATC cleared VT-RKF to proceed with the ILS approach to runway 14. The crew was instructed to report position updates at 5 DME and again at 4.8 DME. At 4.8 DME, the aircraft received final clearance to land, with specific go-around instructions issued, involving a left-hand turn to heading 120° if a missed approach became necessary.
At descent below 1,000 feet above ground level, the crew initially reported no rain in sight. However, as the aircraft neared minimum descent altitude (MDA), heavy precipitation engulfed the aircraft, severely degrading visual cues. Despite the worsening visibility, the crew reported sighting the approach lights.
Upon request from the flight crew, ATC increased the intensity of the approach lighting system to assist with final alignment. Continuing through heavy rain, the flight crew committed to landing.
As the aircraft crossed below decision height:
Sudden sink rate increased dramatically. Unusual cockpit vibrations were perceived. Forward visibility remained marginal despite the increased lighting.
At approximately 08:50 UTC, VT-RKF impacted and destroyed five approach lights:
One Category I approach light Four Category II approach lights
The aircraft’s nose and main landing gears then made ground contact 43.5 metres short of runway 14’s paved threshold. Concurrently, the aircraft’s tail struck the ground, causing structural damage consistent with a tail strike profile.
The ATR continued along the runway centreline and, after decelerating safely, vacated the runway using a mid-field taxiway. The aircraft taxied unassisted to its assigned parking stand (stand 2).
Approximately 17 minutes post-landing, the flight’s Captain reported the suspected tail strike to ATC via a landline.
No immediate injuries were reported among the 43 passengers or 4 crew members, and no onboard fire or smoke conditions were detected.
Crew & Communication
Throughout the sequence:
ATC maintained clear procedural communication, relaying updated weather conditions and facilitating lighting adjustments. The flight crew displayed compliance with ATC instructions, including acknowledgement of go-around headings and approach clearances. The request to increase approach light intensity suggests the crew recognised deteriorating visual conditions but elected to proceed.
The decision to continue the approach under rapidly deteriorating conditions, despite clear heavy rain and limited visual references at MDA, is likely to feature prominently in human factors analysis.
The lack of an immediate go-around decision once heavy rain reappeared near minimums is critical from a Crew Resource Management (CRM) and procedural adherence perspective.
Aircraft Systems & Technical Analysis
The ATR 72-212A is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft equipped with standard ILS approach instrumentation.
Notably:
The aircraft’s Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) should have been capable of issuing “Sink Rate” and “Too Low Terrain” warnings, depending on approach profile deviations. No reports suggest whether EGPWS activations occurred. Approach and landing performance would have been critically degraded by heavy rain, impacting both pilot visibility and aircraft descent perception.
The structural damage sustained by the aircraft includes:
Tailstrike marks on the lower fuselage aft of the main landing gear Impact evidence along the fuselage underside consistent with light mast collisions Potential internal damage to the aft pressure bulkhead (pending further engineering inspection)
ATC later reported Foreign Object Debris (FOD) on runway 14, leading to a cancelled departure for another flight, further corroborating physical damage to ground infrastructure.
Passenger Experience & Cabin Conditions
No significant passenger distress was reported during or after the landing sequence. The tail strike event likely produced:
A loud audible thud within the cabin Perceptible rearward impact forces
However, the absence of immediate structural failure or post-landing incidents helped prevent escalation. Cabin crew would have promptly assessed the interior for damage or fire, finding none.
Passengers disembarked normally upon arrival at the stand.
Emergency Response & Aftermath
Upon learning of the debris and suspected tail strike:
Airport authorities initiated runway inspection and debris removal operations. Maintenance teams conducted an immediate preliminary assessment of VT-RKF, confirming structural impact. The aircraft was grounded at Bhubaneswar for detailed investigation and repairs.
As of 28 April 2025, the aircraft remains grounded, pending further engineering evaluations and regulatory clearance.
Investigation Status
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) opened an investigation into the occurrence, citing:
Unstabilised approach criteria breach Runway undershoot Obstacle collision Tail strike upon landing
The preliminary report identified several key factors:
Marginal visual conditions at MDA due to heavy rain Overreliance on approach lights as sole visual cue Possible underestimation of sink rate and ground proximity Failure to execute missed approach when visual conditions degraded critically
Further investigation will focus on:
Flight crew decision-making under deteriorating weather Compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding unstable approaches Aircraft systems performance, especially warnings and annunciations during final approach
Root Cause & Contributing Factors
Primary Cause:
Continuation of a precision approach in conditions below minimum visual references, resulting in undershoot, infrastructure impact, and tailstrike.
Contributing Factors:
Deteriorating meteorological conditions (heavy rain, low visibility) Insufficient monitoring of sink rate and vertical path adherence Overreliance on approach lighting cues Potential lack of assertive decision-making regarding a missed approach
Safety Recommendations & Industry Impact
Immediate lessons from this incident reinforce several crucial operational imperatives:
Mandatory go-around procedures must be instigated promptly when visual references are lost below minimums. Enhanced pilot training on decision-making under sudden meteorological deterioration is essential. Airport operators must ensure robust FOD inspections following confirmed infrastructure collisions. Aircraft OEMs and airlines should review EGPWS settings and alerting logic for effectiveness in heavy precipitation scenarios.
The incident highlights the criticality of not relaxing procedural rigour, even when pressured by perceived runway visual cues or operational expediency.
Conclusion
The Alliance Air ATR 72-212A incident at Bhubaneswar underscores the high risks associated with deteriorating visual approaches under marginal weather conditions. The flight crew’s decision to continue the approach despite rapidly degrading visibility resulted in ground infrastructure collisions and aircraft structural damage, narrowly avoiding a more catastrophic outcome.
Strict adherence to stabilised approach criteria and immediate go-around execution upon loss of visual references remain paramount to aviation safety.
Disclaimer
This article is based on publicly available information and reports at the time of writing. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, we cannot guarantee the completeness of the information provided.
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