Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Aviation Investigation Bureau (AIB) has clarified the circumstances that led to an accident involving Indian carrier Jet Airways at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Friday, Aug. 3.

The Boeing 737, which went off paved area of the airport, had attempted to take off from a taxiway instead of the designated runway, the AIB said in a statement on Sunday following preliminary investigations.

The incident occurred around 12.30 a.m. local time when the Mumbai-bound flight 9W523 with 141 passengers and seven crew members was trying to get air-borne.

"The plane attempted to take off from taxiway K, parallel to the designated runway R33," AIB said in the statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

It said that the visibility was good at the time of the incident and that there were no foreign objects on the taxiway. "The aircraft accelerated with full takeoff power and overshot the taxiway onto unpaved area ending up close to the exit of taxiway (G4), north of taxiway K," the statement said.

Fire and rescue were rushed to the spot and an emergency evacuation was carried out, it added.

All passengers and crew aboard the aircraft were safely evacuated and accommodated inside the terminal building. There were no casualties or injuries.

A senior official of India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said it had suspended the licenses of two pilots involved in the incident at Riyadh airport pending investigations.