KENDRAPARA: After remaining grounded on the playground of Kendrapara Autonomous College for over a month due to technical snags, the helicopter used by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was taken to Mumbai for repair on a trailer truck on Wednesday.
Sources said a team of aviation engineers first removed the blades of the helicopter and with the help of a JCB machine, lifted it on to the trailer truck for its journey to Mumbai by road.
Operation manager of Mumbai-based Heligo Charters Private Ltd Kartik Chandra Dutta said, “This helicopter was manufactured by German-based Airbus company. Keeping in mind the safety of helicopter and pilots, we decided to shift it by road. After reaching Mumbai, the helicopter will be repaired.”
An aviation engineer, who was part of the team from Mumbai, said it would take 10 days to carry the helicopter to Mumbai from Kendrapara on road covering around 800 km. “We will follow the chopper on two vehicles for its safe journey,” he added.
During the chief minister’s maiden visit to the district on June 9, his helicopter was struck by lightning amid incessant rains. Though Majhi landed safely at the temporary helipad on the college ground, he was forced to return from Kendrapara by road. Since then, the helicopter had been stranded on the college playground.
Additional district magistrate of Kendrapara Rabindra Kumar Mallick said the helicopter developed some technical snags due to lightning. Three aviation engineers spent a week to repair it but could not succeed.
“The district administration swung into action after various media reports highlighted the delay in shifting the helicopter from the college ground,” he added.