Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A technical glitch in one of its engines forced a chartered plane to land again at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport soon after it had dropped Union minister Nisith Pramanik at the airport and taken off for Delhi, an official said on Wednesday.
The minister was not on board the plane when the technical glitch was noticed by the pilot. A chartered plane of a private company dropped Pramanik at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar international airport in Indore on Tuesday, said director in charge, airport, Prabodh Sharma.
"After dropping the minister at the airport, the plane took off for Delhi at 6.40 pm. The plane had reached about 50 nautical miles (about 92 km) from Indore when the pilot realised that one of its two engines had developed some glitch. The pilot landed the plane at the airport again at 7:19 pm after taking permission from the ATC,î he said.
Sharma denied it was an emergency landing. He said that the pilot landed the plane in a normal manner.
"Pramanik was not on board of the flight when it returned for landing. Only crew members were flying when the plane returned to Indore due to a technical fault," he added.
Officials said that Pramanik, who is also MOS for Sports, had come to Indore on Tuesday evening to inaugurate the 71st Junior National Basketball Championship here.
After dropping him the plane was to return to Delhi. Pilot and co-pilot were on board the aircraft. After refuelling the plane shortly after take-off from the city airport to Delhi at 6.40 pm. In the air the aircraft's second engine malfunctioned, causing the aircraft to jerk. Immediately on this the pilot informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and sought permission for landing. After getting permission from ATC the emergency landing of the aircraft was made at the airport.
After leaving Indore, this plane had gone 50 nautical miles i.e. about 92 kilometers away from the city airport. But the pilot consciously brought the plane back to the airport and made a safe landing at the airport at 7.19 pm.
Sources said on Wednesday that the aircraft was parked close to MP Flying Club, where the repairing of the engine would be done. On the other hand, Union Minister Pramanik departed from the city for New Delhi on Wednesday by a Vistara flight.
