Indian low cost carrier IndiGo is the largest airline in that country, carrying more passengers than Air India or Jet Airways. Their all-Airbus A320 fleet serves 40 destinations with over 600 daily flights.
Back in February the pilots of IndiGo flight 237 from Ahmadabad to Jaipur “mistook a road running parallel to the Jaipur airport” and tried to land there.
“IndiGo Flight 6E-237 enroute Ahmedabad to Jaipur being operated with A320 aircraft VT-IGK was involved in EGPWS “TOO LOW TERRAIN” warning on 27 February 2016 when the aircraft was on finals during visual approach at runway 27 at Jaipur (VIJP). The Captain-in-command immediately took a precautionary measure and carried a go-around. The aircraft landed safely on subsequent ILS approach on runway 27.
The plane descended below 900 feet. A ground proximity warning system notified the cockpit. They pulled up, executed a go around, and landed at the airport. The pilots were dismissed this week.
IndiGo Ad at Baggage Claim in Chennai
The EGPWS “TOO LOW TERRAIN” doesn’t go of if you are landing on the correct runway? I think the warning had nothing to do with them pulling up. They were probably told by tower they were landing on a road?
EGPWS has a “Terrain Clearance Floor” feature which includes known airports/runways. It behaves differently when you’re on approach/glideslope to a known airport than a road.
https://www51.honeywell.com/aero/common/documents/Terrain_Clearance_Floor.pdf
Thanks Sam. I always like learning something new about avionics.