Maha CM's chopper woes continue, fifth narrow miss for Devendra Fadnavis

It was yet another lucky escape for Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who was accompanied by Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari when their helicopter was landing at Bhayandar , in outskirts of Mumbai on Thursday. During the final phase of the landing, the crew noticed a cable in the approach path and altered course to prevent a mishap and landed safely.

Fadnavis and Gadkari who had gone to Bhayander for the bhoomipoojan (ground-breaking) of the Versova bridge to be built by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), then returned to Mumbai by road.This incident is the fifth in a series of close shaves and near-misses for Fadnavis, including one where his helicopter got entangled in overhead wires after take off, leading to a crash landing.

“The aircraft got airborne from the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) for Bhayander for the NHAI event. On short finals (the final approach of the chopper), they (the crew) saw a cable in the approach path. Normally, the approach is required to be kept steady. However, they altered course and landed,” said a senior official from the state aviation department. The helicopter was to land at a school in Bhayander.

The official added that after landing, the crew had appraised the chief minister that there was a cable in the approach path and that while taking off, they would be required to reduce the passenger load. “While taking off, we are required to have a certain amount of reserve power. As this was a restricted helipad to carry out a take off, the chief minister's staff then decided that everyone will travel back by road,” he explained, adding that while the DGCA had been informed as per the statutory requirements, a report on the incident was expected on Friday.

The helicopter, a MD 900, which can seat six passengers and two crew, had been hired from one of the two agencies empanelled by the state government. When asked about the repeated close shaves for Fadnavis, the official claimed this was “because the chief minister's movement was monitored and even small deviations were noted” even as incidents like overshoots and near-misses at airports went largely unnoticed.

He noted that the satellite television cables which ran from one building to another posed a danger to the flight path of helicopters. “We tell the ground staff but can't ensure (lack of encumbrances as the air crew),” the official said.