The Kingfisher Airlines flight at Mumbai airport. (AP)

Mumbai, Nov. 10: A Kingfisher Airlines flight skidded on a Mumbai airport runway this evening while landing after rain, despite airlines being told to suspend operations when the stretch was wet.

A small fire broke out when the plane landed nose down on a grassy area. Kingfisher claimed none of the 42 passengers was hurt.

The airline said it was not sure how the incident occurred. It said it had derostered the pilot. “Kingfisher Airlines flight IT 4124 (from Bhavnagar) which came in to land at Mumbai airport today skidded on the runway. All 42 guests and four crew members on board are safe and unhurt. We will conduct an inquiry,” a statement from Kingfisher said.

Last month, the Mumbai International Airport Limited, which runs the airport, had announced that for a few months the main runway would remain either fully or partially closed between noon and 6pm every Tuesday for maintenance.

Since October 27, the runway has remained shut between noon and 1pm on Tuesdays. After 1pm, a 1,700m stretch is opened at the western end for take-offs and landings by small planes.

“Keeping the weather conditions in mind for today, the directorate-general of civil aviation (DGCA) had issued a notice for airmen and all stakeholders, including air operators. It said only trainer pilots (pilots who train other pilots) should be allowed to operate aircraft from the shortened runway. It also said that all flight operations should be suspended if the short runway was classified as wet,” said a source in the DGCA.

Since yesterday, Mumbai has had drizzles and cloudy skies.

The source claimed that despite the order, Mumbai International Airport Limited allowed planes to land “under pressure from airlines” when the runway was wet. “We are going to initiate an inquiry according to protocol and will take stern action against the guilty,” said a DGCA official.

Airport officials refused to comment on the incident and kept insisting the runway was not too “wet” and so planes were allowed to land.

“It seems the pilot miscalculated and the plane skidded on the runway and on to the grass with its nose down before coming to a halt. Some passengers were slightly injured. There was a report of a small fire because of the skidding,” said a Mumbai International Airport Limited source.

“We kept the runway closed till 3pm following the DGCA’s order. But when visibility improved, we started to allow landings. So many planes landed, nothing happened. We don’t know if the Kingfisher pilot was a trainer pilot or not. We should not be blamed for this,” he added.