A Bagdogra-Nagpur-Mumbai-bound air ambulance, had to make an emergency landing at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Thursday evening after losing one of its wheels during take-off from Nagpur airport. A full emergency was declared for the non-scheduled Nagpur to Mumbai flight, said an official.
According to the official, on Thursday, a C-90 aircraft VT-JIL, was operating as an air ambulance flight from Nagpur with a patient on board. During departure from Runway 32 at Nagpur airport, a wheel of the aircraft fell to the ground, said the official. It then flew above CSMIA for over an hour until its fuel tank was almost empty, so as to avert a fire during landing. The crew confirmed that the pilots attempted a ‘belly landing’, which is a landing without using the landing gear.
Foam was put on the runway to safeguard against fire, said the official. “The right landing gear of the chartered flight fell off after departure and an emergency landing was made at Mumbai’s CSMIA on Thursday, at 9.09pm. A patient, two crew members, the patient’s relative and a doctor were on board the flight. All passengers are safe,” the official said. Pilot Captain Kesari Singh was highly appreciated by the airport staff for his precise and safe landing in an emergency. The patient was later shifted to Nanavati Hospital for treatment.
In a media statement, the CSMIA said, “A full emergency was declared for a non-scheduled Beechcraft VT-JIL aircraft on the route from Nagpur to Mumbai. The airport’s emergency response team, including the fire and rescue responders, follow-me vehicles, CISF, medical team amongst many others was activated instantly and on standby to provide immediate assistance to ensure the safe evacuation of the passengers. As a precautionary method, CSMIA also foamed RWY 27 in order to avoid the aircraft catching fire. All passengers were evacuated safely and flights operating in and out of CSMIA remain on schedule.”
