Friday evening was particularly challenging for pilots trying to land at India's Kolkata airport, with heavy crosswinds resulting in several failed attempts. In all, nine flights were diverted, and more than 20 were put on a holding pattern to wait for conditions to improve.

Multiple failed landings

On the evening of August 19th, severe crosswinds hampered operations at Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. For 90 minutes between 17:00 and 18:30, 11 pilots were unable to stabilize their approach and had to go around for another attempt.

In all, a total of 16 landings were aborted, and nine aircraft had to be diverted to other airports while several others circled around, waiting for conditions to improve. The Times of India reports that incoming flights were alerted to the situation, but pilots were not prepared for the intensity of the crosswinds as they attempted to land.

The TOI quotes one pilot as saying,

“The winds striking the aircraft from the left caused it to veer away, causing a 20° difference between the axis of the plane and that of the runway. We had to abort landing and hover till fuel distresses forced flights to divert.”

Strong crosswinds are not uncommon in the region between March and May, but these usually last for 10 to 30 minutes. But Friday's conditions took everyone by surprise, with severe winds lasting for 90 minutes.

One pilot commented,

“An Airbus A320 aircraft or a Boeing 737 plane can withstand crosswinds up to 40 kmph and gusting up to 75kmph. But on Friday evening, the winds were far more severe with pilots experiencing crosswinds of 93 kmph at 1,600ft and 83kmph at 900ft.”

“It wasn't possible to stabilise the approach and alight the aircraft with the runway. The problem was not just aligning with the localiser but also maintaining the vertical profile of the aircraft.”

A320 silhouette Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images

Crosswind landing

Landing in crosswinds can be challenging for pilots. It requires immense on-the-job learning to master the technique, and even then, things can become tricky in severe conditions. The piloting technique for crosswinds varies from aircraft to aircraft, but there are two main methods – crabbing and wing-down method.

In the crab method, the pilot keeps the aircraft's flight path right on the runway centerline with its nose pointed into the wind. The movement mimics a crab walking on a beach, with it facing one direction while moving in a different direction.

The wing-down method is where the pilot knowingly puts the aircraft in a sideslip. To do so, the rudder is applied to align the plane to the runway center line, which straightens the aircraft.

Those interested in finding out more about crosswind landings can visit Simple Flying's detailed article on the subject published earlier this year.

Similar occurrences

Severe winds often hamper airport operations, resulting in dramatic landings, go-arounds, and diversions. In May, Delhi airport was hit with high winds and heavy rain, delaying over 100 flights and diverting 35. Several flights, including a long-haul service from Canada, had to be diverted to alternate airports, as winds as high as 75kmph made it challenging to land planes.

In February, as Storm Eunice battered much of Europe, several pilots and airplanes were pushed to their limits attempting to land at various major airports in the region.

Airplane landing at Heathrow during Storm Eunice
Several airplanes struggled to land at Heathrow during Storm Eunice. Photo: Getty Images

For an airport like London Heathrow, where even on a regular day, the airspace is quite crowded, a storm like Eunice amplified the workload greatly. For plane spotters, however, it made for spectacular views of nail-biting landings and storm-induced go-arounds.

Have you ever seen a plane land during crosswinds? Do let us know in the comment section below.

Source: The Times of India