New Delhi (Mizzima) – A Myanma Airways passenger plane from Tavoy in southern Burma, skidded off a runway upon landing at Rangoon International Airport this morning, an official said.
The Xian MA60 left runway at around 11 a.m., but there were no casualties, a management department official at the airport administered by the Ministry of Transport confirmed. “There is a watchtower at the airport and fire engines near the tower. The plane skidded off the runway near there,” a passenger at the airport told Mizzima.
The turboprop aircraft is widely used in China and developing countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Three on-ground incidents involving the plane during take-off or landing occurred last year; two at the Godofredo P. Ramos Airport in the Philippines and one at Harare International Airport when an Air Zimbabwe MA60 hit five warthogs on take-off.
National carrier Myanma Airways in July sent 12 pilots, eight aeronautical engineers, two flight attendants and two navigators to China to gain experience on the MA60.
The pilots and engineers were still unfamiliar with the MA60’s design, a former Myanma Airways aeronautical engineer told Mizzima last week.
“Xian MA60 uses ATR engines and the switch layout is very unfamiliar for pilots and aeronautical engineers from Burma,” he said, referring to the French-Italian ATR aircraft, which with the MA60, also uses modified Pratt & Whitney Canada engines.
Two new Xian MA60s entered service for the domestic carrier last Wednesday. The type has a capacity of 60 passengers and is made by Xian Aircraft Industrial Corporation, a subsidiary of China Aviation Industry Corporation 1 since 2000. The estimated unit price is about US$12.5 million.
Myanma Airways’ fleet now comprises two ATR72s, an ATR42, three F28s, and three Xian MA-60s for local services.
