BHUBANESWAR: President Pratibha Patil had a narrow escape on Wednesday. The rotor blade of IAF’s MI 17 VVIP chopper, bringing her from Puri, hit a concrete structure at government terminal of Biju Patnaik international airport.
Patil was returning from a visit to Konark and Puri with spouse Devi Singh Sekhawat and Governor M C Bhandare. The mishap took place at 4.40 pm when the chopper was taxiing after landing at the airport, sources said. The helicopter was also carrying Patil’s two guests, besides her military secretary. After it landed at the terminal, the chopper took a 360-degree turn to taxi near the hangar when one of the rotor blades hit the concrete structure, sources said. While the copter suddenly became unstable, a portion of the rotor blade got detached under the impact of collision generating sparks. The structure was also damaged.
However, the helicopter was not affected and no one was injured. It was not known how the copter went so close to the structure which is used by the Met office for storing weather balloons.
``The incident occurred after the helicopter had landed, but everyone is safe. The Defence Ministry has been requested to conduct an inquiry and take appropriate action,’’ Press Secretary to the President Archana Dutta told this paper.
As soon as the incident occurred, the engine of the chopper was switched off and a few moments later, the President came out and inspected the aircraft.
Patil, who is on a three-day visit to the State, then headed to Raj Bhavan and is scheduled to return to New Delhi on Thursday. The landing and takeoff of presidential aircraft are preceded by a series of drills which were conducted earlier. “During rehearsal, the presidential aircraft had landed at quite a distance from the structure,” a source explained, pointing at the markers who remain present at the ground.
Sources said the scheduled arrival from Puri was 5.10 pm which meant visibility was clear since the entourage landed about 30 minutes earlier.
The two other IAF choppers, escorting the President, had also landed around the same time at different runways.
With a number of recent controversial chopper landings and takeoffs involving politicians, the incident has fuelled yet another debate on VVIP flying safety.