Imagine a plane at a height of 35000 feet in the sky with 150 passengers and crew members that only has 250 kg of fuel left in the tank, with thunder and torrential rain outside. Scared? Well, this is a real-life incident that happened with Captain Vikrant Khanna, an experienced pilot who was proud of his skills. But even in his overconfidence, the man not only saved lives but also created a goosebump-worth story, which laid the foundation of the film Runway 34. Yes! This is not a fantasy, but the reality of 2015, which director and actor Ajay Devgan brought to the big screen in the year 2022.
When did this happen?
On the morning of August 18, 2015, Jet Airways flight 9W-555 left from Doha, Qatar, for Kochi, Kerala, but as is usually the case with any flight, something else was written in the fate of the passengers on board this flight and especially the pilots. The flight reached Kochi with 141 passengers and 8 crew members.
According to the report, the flight could not land due to bad weather. The flight was diverted to Thiruvananthapuram, but even there, the pilots could not land. The weather was very bad here too. The pilots initiated a mayday call. After several failed attempts, the flight landed at Thiruvananthapuram airport with only 250 kg of fuel. Some media reports say that the flight had 350 kg of fuel. It is worth noting that this was a Boeing 737 aircraft and it should have 1500 kg of fuel reserve.
According to a Hindustan Times report, when the flight reached Kochi airspace, it had 4,844 kg of fuel. In three landing attempts, the fuel was reduced to 4,699 kg, 3,919 kg and 2,644 kg. The aircraft should have 3,306 kg of fuel to Bengaluru, so this flight was diverted to Thiruvananthapuram.
The pilot ignored all warnings
Media reports say that the pilot carried out the landing even in such adverse conditions. They were repeatedly warned and cautioned but they did not pay heed to any of the warnings. The pilot landed the flight in the seventh attempt, without clear visibility.
The newspapers called the pilots heroes for saving the lives of the passengers and crew members. It is worth noting that an inquiry was ordered against both pilots and they were removed for risking the lives of 150 people.
Earlier, the name of Ajay Devgan's film was May Day, which was later changed to Runway 34. This film of Ajay Devgan, Amitabh Bachchan and Rakul Preet Singh was directed by Ajay Devgan himself. Famous YouTuber CarryMinati also made his Bollywood debut with this film.
What is a May Day call?
May Day call was earlier called SOS or Save Our Souls call. After this call, the pilot has no contact with the air traffic control. The pilot has to make every decision on his own. The pilot is completely responsible for the lives of the passengers and crew members.
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