A helicopter carrying NCP chief Sharad Pawar made an emergency at a make-shift helipad at a ground at Ahmednagar in western Maharashtra late on Sunday afternoon.
The incident took place when Pawar was returning to Pune after performing bhoomi puja for construction of a new building of the Ahmednagar Zilla Maratha Vidya Prasarak Sanstha on the occasion of its centenary celebrations.
Minutes of the helicopter carrying Pawar left Ahmednagar helipad for Pune at 3.45 pm, the captain noticed that a seat belt had protruded out of a window of the aircraft. Not wanting to take any chances, the helicopter returned and made an emergency Ahmednagar helipad where the seat belt was put back into the aircraft.
Later the helicopter with Pawar on board left for Pune, where the NCP chief arrived safely later in the evening.
“ We were taken by surprise when the helicopter returned within ten minutes after it had left for Pune. Later, we came to know that the seat belt had protruded out of the aircraft when it was in the air. However, after the seat belt was put back into the original position. The aircraft left for Pune immediately afterwards. Everything went off smoothly,” Ahmednagar’s Deputy Superintendent of Police Sandip Mitake said.
