Pilots mistake road for runway

The two IndiGo pilots have been grounded, pending investigation. Photo / iStock

Two pilots have been grounded after they nearly landed a plane on a road instead of a runway.

The Hindustan Times reported that an IndiGo aircraft, flying from Ahmedabad to Jaipur in India, was less than two minutes away from landing when a "too low terrain" warning signal sounded.

"The captain in command immediately took a precautionary measure and carried a go-around. The aircraft landed safely on subsequent approach," the airline said in a statement.

Sources told the Times that autopilot had been switched off and the plane had been cleared to land at runway 27 of Jaipur Airport.

"The pilots mistook the road running parallel to the runway as the runway and aligned with it. This was a very serious incident," an official said.

The airline said safety was not compromised at any time and both pilots were taken off flight duty, pending investigation.

- nzherald.co.nz