Farrukhabad: A private jet carrying top executives of a food processing company had a narrow escape on Thursday after it skidded off the runway seconds after takeoff from the Mohammadabad airstrip in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad district.
Officials said the aircraft, en route to Bhopal, veered off course and skidded for nearly 400 metres before coming to a halt. All passengers and crew members escaped unhurt.
According to sources, preliminary findings suggest that low air pressure in the tyres could have caused the aircraft to lose control during takeoff. A detailed investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause.
On board the aircraft were Deputy Managing Director of Woodpecker Greenagri Nutrients Private Limited Ajay Arora, SBI Head Sumit Sharma, BPO Rakesh Tiku, along with pilots Captain Naseeb Bamal and Captain Prateek Fernandes. The company’s Uttar Pradesh project head, Manish Kumar Pandey, said the aircraft, identified as a VT Day jet operated by Jet Serve Aviation Private Limited, took off at around 10.30 am.
Pandey alleged pilot negligence, claiming the pilot was aware of the low tyre pressure before takeoff. “The incident could have been avoided had the issue been addressed earlier,” he said.
Fire department officials, however, stated they had received no prior intimation about the flight’s schedule and alleged that the treasury fee for takeoff had not been deposited.
Soon after the mishap, senior district officials including Kotwali in-charge Vinod Kumar Shukla, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajay Verma, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sadar Rajnikanth, Additional SDM Ravindra Kumar, and regional accountant Sanjay Kumar reached the site to assess the situation.
Both pilots have yet to comment on the incident.
