BIRD HITS CHARTER PLANE TO MOSCOW OF 250 PASSENGERS: PLANE GROUNDED

DABOLIM: A chartered plane to Moscow with 250 passengers on board had a narrow escape early Thursday when it suffered a bird hit at the runway of Goa's Dabolim international airport.

Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials said that immediately after the bird hit, the pilot of the Moscow-bound Aerofloat Boeing flight that was still taking off braked hard, resulting in its tyres going bust.  "All passengers are safe and the flight has been grounded," Dabolim airport director D. Paul Manickam told reporters here.

The incident occurred at 7.30 a.m., the official said, adding that two other flights were delayed because of the bird hit on the runway.  "There was an hour's delay because the bird hit occurred on the runway. But regular traffic has resumed now," he said. (TNN)