Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia, 82, had a miraculous escape on Thursday morning when the state government plane King Air B-200 with the governor on board caught fire while taking off on the runaway at the Chandigarh airport.
The incident took place around 11.30 am when the governor’s plane was to take off from the technical area of the Chandigarh airport. The plane crash-landed at the runway when it was about to take off after re-fuelling.
Pahadia was immediately pulled out of the plane by his staff and taken to Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI)- Chandigarh for detailed medical examination.
No serious injury was reported. Pahadia was on way to Delhi to attend the launching of his autobiography at the Rashtrapati Bhawan by the President later in the day. Nine persons, including the governor, his personal doctor, Pahadia’s aide-de-camp (ADC) and others, were accompanying him in the plane at the time of the accident.The runway was closed for half-an-hour after the incident. An official said the aircraft, while getting airborne, yawed to the left and crashed on its left wings. The Director-General of Civil Aviation is conducting an inquiry into the incident.
He said all the 10 passengers on board the aircraft, including the Governor, his wife Shanti Pahadia, Governor’s Secretary, his two ADCs, the doctor, two attendants and pilots Wing Cdr. D. Nanda and Capt. Dinesh Bansal were safe.