A Boeing 737-800 operated by Air India Express broke into two pieces after skidding off the runway at Calicut Airport in Kerala state, according to early reports from India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The airline confirmed the accident involving its flight IX-1344 from Dubai, which landed at 7:41 p.m. local time.
According to a statement by the airline's parent group Air India, there were 174 passengers on board and seven flight crew. Early on August 9, local authorities reported that 18 people, including both pilots, had died in the accident. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau confirmed that it has located the 737's flight data and cockpit voice recorders.
Data captured by FlightRadar24 showed that the pilots tried to land three times, first on Runway 10, then Runway 28, and finally again on Runway 10. According to local media reports, it was raining at the time of the accident and the region is currently in its monsoon season.
[This story was updated on August 9 to add the latest confirmed information]