Launched at more than 200 km/h, an Air India A320 aborts its takeoff, at the last minute… It was not on the runway

This is a rare incident that took place a few days ago at the Manohar International Airport (GOX) in Goa, India. An airliner, launched at high speed, had to abort its takeoff because it was not on the runway, but on a taxiway, a taxiway dedicated exclusively to taxiing. A look back at how the facts unfolded.

It is 9:40 p.m. local time on December 5, 2024. An Air India Airbus A320neo is preparing to depart for Hyderabad, a city located an hour's flight away in the center of the country. After being informed by air traffic control that they would take off from runway 28, the pilots left their parking point. But instead of turning right to reach the runway threshold, they turn left onto one of the airport taxiways.

Air traffic control alerts the pilots, at the last minute

A few seconds later, the crew puts on full throttle in preparation for takeoff. Air traffic control realizes the error and immediately asks the pilots to abort their takeoff. According to data from the specialist site flightradar24, the device then reaches a speed of 220 km/h. There is still time. The crew complies, and the plane ends up stopping. The worst was avoided… Other devices could in fact be on this taxiway leading to a collision on the ground. The accident of March 27, 1977 between two Boeing 747s at Tenerife airport, in the Canary Islands, left its mark. It caused 583 victims.

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Opening an investigation

Following the incident, described as a “significant security breach” by the authorities, the plane turned around and returned to the terminal. The flight was canceled, and the plane did not return to service until the next day. It is not known how many occupants were on board the aircraft, but no injuries were reported. The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has opened an investigation to shed light on the event.