HOW could they let it GO THIS FAR?!

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As you asked, I was not a passenger on this flight, but I was the on-duty Air Traffic Controller at Cochin that day (Since then I have moved to a different airport). I remember that night very clearly as it was one of the more eventful days early on in my career. Initially, we were of course not aware of the developing emergency, but we did provide all possible assistance to the aircraft. The next morning, after consulting with my colleagues at Trivandrum airport I got to know about the emergency declaration and the final report took more than a year to come out. This did lead to more detailed fueling guidance by DGCA (the regulatory body). We have used this as a case study in our refresher training courses also. About the video, as usual, it's very well done (But I am watching this almost a year after you published it). There are some minor mistakes like the procedure for RWY27 at Cochin involves a base turn and not a procedure turn as shown in the video and the holding and flight paths (I might have the flightradar24 screenshots because I was new and it was an eventful night lol)

I was a flight attendant for 17 years on the 737 800. I had one incident that happened to be going into my home city where we had five go around. There was no communication from the cockpit and by the time we landed I was almost in tears

I am a local in Trivandrum and an avid Flight Simmer. So some additional context - Jet Airways had started its decline as a carrier during that decade. And the management of the company in India was cutting corners everywhere. The crew must have been pressured to fly back partly because of this. Another reason, this route is extremely profitable for all airlines as it brings in Gulf bound and back Malayalee workers/emigrees. Packed fully and booked months ahead in time. The night time flight is the most sought after, given it is cheaper that suites many of the econoimy passengers. There is a lot of competition with other carriers on this a "milk that cow most" route. Quick turn arounds are considered by management as essential. Another aspect is the weather, we are in the tropical humid climate belt and experiences heavy doses of misting and fog in the early morning hours during the monsoon season. The pilots would have been exposed to this before given the flight experience of the captain and the prominence of this route. Trivandrum is a coastal town and the runway is adjacent to the beach. This adds to the problem as the wind conditions bring in low clouds and mist from the sea. Also our weather in Kerala is heavily influence by the Western Ghats montain range creating a different weather pattern through out the State of Kerala where Both Cochin and Trivandrum is located in. Often both Airports face very similar conditions at the same time. Bangalore is a city in central South India away from the Indian ocean and on the other side of the mountain range. It has much higher altitude and a totally different weather system. So picking Bangalore as the alternate was a better decision. Every other alternate they considered including Coimabtore does experience weather orginating in Indian Ocean. Given that Bangalore is in another state( costs airline more to bring the passengers back to destination) and a more costly airport to land in must have weighed in on the Captains mind. Remember the cost cutting that was going on. This is the reason I blame the airline management for making life more difficult for flight crews. Cost cutting is BAD for an Airline, especially in safety department. Another aspect is cultural. In India there is this mentality to not question your seniors especially upper management. So even when they do dumb things, the juniors are supposed to show difference and respect . The captain trusted his own expertise and did not weigh in when the First officer expressed his concern. Also I think there were cutbacks on all operations at Jet. In India there is a tendency to sweep details under the rug when it becomes an issue of blame throwing. Meticulous work is not favoured over quick fix approach. I am sure there would be Indians who would oppose this opinion, but understanding where we are lacking is very important process of learning. And in aviation there is no excuse as it involves people's lives.

Thanks! I haven't flown since the early 90s. I'm 70y/o, retired, and essentially home bound but still enjoy learning. I always enjoy your presentations, much / most of which is due to your personal informative approach and enthusiasm. Keep doing what you do.

As a pilot myself, I know the anxiety these pilots were going through, but to have the lives of many passengers in your hands while this crisis is happening is just unthinkable. They should have taken 48 hours off before getting back in the cockpit, just to compose themselves

@Mentour Pilot: Your fuel calculation reminds me of my very first solo traffic pattern in a very small propeller aircraft. To compensate the missing weight of the flight instructor, the instructor told me to fill up all tanks to maximum. Just after takeoff the tower questioned me how long I'm able to stay airborne. My answer was: "2 hours plus 1 hour reserve". After that the tower announced me that the runway was blocked and the airfield was closed because the aircraft with glider in tow which tried to take off direct after me had an accident. So I had to make my first cross country flight just from the spot without any preparation. I neither had a gps navigation nor a paper map, this was about 0,5m in my back, unreachable for me. There was a simple traffic pattern planned and not a cross country flight. So they diverted me not to the nearest but the most easy to find airfield. As I arrived there, I remember the grandfatherly voice of the air traffic controller and the full service after touch-down. Kudos for the instructor who told me to fill up all fuel tanks to its maximum even for a simple traffic pattern.

As an Indian I am not surprised that the final report by the authorities was poorly written. There's a saying, "Koi baath nahi. Chaltha hai" which basically means, "no worries, she'll be right"... which is the mindset of many of the authorities/governing bodies in India when it comes to safety.

I’m a new cabin crew and I’ve been watching this videos since my training trying to understand certain abbreviations or aviation words or sentences or SOPs and I love talking to the flight deck about all the things I learn from this channel. They are most impressed with my knowledge to say the least and are always happy to have me on the flight deck when I have my dinner and explain everything to me. Thanks a lot x

Thank you for making this video. The pilot was hailed as a local hero and got mixed reactions from media. After interrogation by airport authorities, both the FO and captain were suspended temporarily. The airlines shut down all its operations a few years back and have only recently revived the brand once again. Meanhile, both the pilot and FO have resumed their duties with separate airlines aand this whole incident has been made into a bollywood thriller movie named 'Runway 34'😀

Oh my, the people in the cabin must have been terrified. I cannot imagine a flight crew making such bad decisions that left them with the only alternative to crashing was performing a Hail Mary blind landing. And then for the same flight crew to be allowed by their company to fly out the same day is unimaginable. There is no way they would have been mentally and emotionally fit to make that flight. Excellent review of a very bizarre situation!!

As a mildly nervous flyer, I can think of no better sight than Mentour Pilot in the Captain's seat.

The passengers must have been so relieved to feel that touchdown....and I am sure the pilots were too!

I started following air accident investigations when I worked at sea as there's no better documented cases for understanding how the human brain reacts to stress. This case is a perfect example for everyone in all ways of life.

You asked what happened to the Crew? Well the airline itself was under investigation for corporate malfeasance around this time. It shut down operations in 2019 and as of today there are some attempts to revive it. Corporate frauds / difficulties have an impact down the line. Airline companies in such difficulties endanger thousands of innocent lives and ought not to be allowed to fly until they straighten up and fly right - literally.

I was in this flight. Just a 12 year old kid trying to get to my uncle's house desperately. Nobody gave us any information, and we were strapped to our seats for about 90 minutes during all go arounds and landings. There were only 2 announcements by the pilot, that was for bad weather before the failed first landing and the next one for the alt airport. personally we couldnt feel that we were so close to terrain before approach. i cant even imagine being in the cockpit for this one

As a passenger, I’ve been on a very similar flight to this from Phuket to Don Mueang in BKK. The first approach was aborted after severe wind shear at a few hundred feet, the second was aborted at about 1,000 feet and the third was a touch and go. Diverted to Suvarabhumi which took two attempts before landing. Refuelled there then back to Don Mueang for another aborted landing. On the 7th attempt we landed safely about 2 hours late but very relieved.

As a pilot, I have a rule of thumb for these kind of situations: you can either decide what to do on your own early on, or the situation will end up making the decision for you - and you likely won't be happy with the result. The captain did the latter and they avoided an accident by the absolute narrowest of margins as a result.

Dear Petter, I experienced a go-around due to low visibility a week ago and, thanks to your channel, of which I am a proud Patreon supporter, I could explain to my partner what was going on and why it was good for our safety. We ended up landing on the opposite runway at the second attempt. A bit of surprise, but no panic ☺️ So, thank you!

As a retired widebody Captain for a US major airline. I always discussed prior to a low vis approach at what point would we divert to the alternate airport. aka known as bingo fuel. Sticking to a known plan reduced the stress and everybody was in the loop on what the plan was going to be. I can't imagine doing six missed approaches and feeling the walls closing in. I'm going to bet he'll never make this mistake again after scaring the crap out of himself