Monday, May 24, 2010 at 12:16PM

The U.K.-based website www.breakingtravelnews.com reports that analysis of data on the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the Boeing 737-800 that crashed just beyond Mangalore International Airport (IATA: IXE; ICAO: VOML) in India late last week shows the pilot was told by air traffic control to abort landing. Discovery by investigators of the throttle in the forward position is consistent with this.

Mangalore International Airport is what is known as a “tabletop airport,” for its configuration near the edge of a high, steep hill. Runway 06/24 at the facility is 8,000 feet in length, which is long enough for a plane the size of the one that crashed, to stop. But the Boeing 737-800 touched down on runway 06/24 at Mangalore International, 2000 feet beyond the normal touchdown point. It ran off the other end, and tumbled down a nearby hill. There are eight confirmed survivors of the crash, and an estimated 158 dead from the crash.

Air India was founded in 1932, and is the flag carrier of India. Its hub is at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (IATA: BOM; ICAO: VABB) in Mumbai. Air India’s low-cost subsidiary Air India Express was founded in 2004.

related stories

The flight data recorders from the Air India crash are found (May 23, 2010)

A Boeing 737 crashes near Mangalore killing about 170 (May 22, 2010)

original story (www.breakingtravelnews.com)