A big tragedy was averted on Tuesday after two skillful pilots managed to safely crash-land their malfunctioned air ambulance, with seven people on board, on a field in Kair village in Najafgarh in Delhi around 2.45 pm. Pilot Amit Kumar and co-pilot Rohit Singh displayed exemplary skill and courage to manoeuvre the plane for landing on an open field away from human habitat after both engines of the aircraft stopped working .
The six-seater C-90 Beechking aircraft belonging to Trinamool lawmaker KD Singh’s Alchemist Group was remarkably intact despite crash-landing.
The Medanta Hospital-bound air ambulance was carrying 61-year-old Virender Rai, a cardiac patient, from Patna to Delhi. Rai was accompanied by Dr Rupesh from Jagdish Memorial Hospital, Patna, technician Jang Bahadur, relative Juhi Rai and his younger brother Bhagwan Rai, who sustained minor injuries. Bhagwan Rai was rushed to Rao Tula Ram Hospital, while the patient was rushed to Medanta Hospital by a Delhi Police PCR van. Bhagwan Rai was discharged after the first aid, said Medical Superintendent Dr AK Singh.
It was around 2.40 pm on Monday when the pilots noticed that one of the engines of the aircraft was not working. Pilot Amit Kumar informed the Air Traffic Control at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) about the imminent emergency landing. But before they can fix their mind on a place for emergency landing, the second engine too developed malfunction. As the plane was hurtling down, the pilots noticed that there were houses beneath, then in a last-ditch effort to minimise the damage and loss of lives, they manoeuvered the plane out and crash-landed on an open field. The pilots ensured that the plane landed on its belly at the safest part of the field as there was 460 liters of gaosline in the fuel tank.
South-West Joint Commissioner of Police Dependra Pathtak said the crash landing site was 10 km away for IGIA. The hydraulic gear of the plane was broken and one of the tyres was separated from the plane. The plane stopped immediately without suffering much damage, the official added.
An IGIA official said, “The 1989-make aircraft, carrying registration number VT EQO, was in touch with to Air Traffic Control as it was in the final approach to landing.”
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said DGCA officials have been sent to the site of the incident to conduct a probe. “We received an emergency call from the pilot. Both the engines of the aircraft had reportedly failed. They made the landing safe.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is looking into the incident,” the Minister added. “I pray for the early recovery of the injured. The causes of the accident shall be looked into,” tweeted Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju.
A senior official of Delhi Fire Service said that as many as 14 fire tenders were rushed to the spot after the aircraft crash-landed. The villagers tried to evacuate the passengers. One of them called up the police control room and a police van that was patrolling in the vicinity reached the place of the crash.
Medical Superintendent of Medanta Hospital Dr AK Dubey told The Pioneer that Virender Rai (patient) had suffered brain stroke; but he didn’t receive any further damage in the crash-landing. “About two days ago, we received a call for this case. Patient’s family didn’t take our air ambulance but hired from a private company,” he added.