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 …read more