Mumbai: A possible disaster was averted on Thursday at the Mumbai airport when an IAF helicopter of President Pratibha Patil's fleet landed on the runway that was to be used by an Air India plane, forcing the aircraft pilot to abort the take off at the last minute.
The pilot of the Air India flight to Delhi -IC 866 - aborted take off when he saw the helicopter landing on the runway he was about to use apparently due to wrong directions from the Air Traffic Control, official sources said.
A fleet of three helicopters had taken off from Mumbai's Naval base 'INS Kunjali' and were on their way to the airport since the President was to fly to Gondia by her special IAF plane to attend a function.
"At around 09.00 hrs today, an Air Force chopper landed on the same runway from which Air India flight IC 866 (with 150 passengers on board) was taking off for Delhi, forcing the pilot of the plane to abort take off at the last minute," a Mumbai Airport official said.
The Air India aircraft, he said, was taxiing to reach the main runway for the take off when the Air Traffic Control talked to the pilot regarding the helicopter. The pilot applied the brakes to bring the aircraft to a halt, he said.
Mumbai International Airport authorities did not comment on the incident, saying it was purely an issue concerning the Mumbai Air Traffic Control, which had allowed both the landing and the take off."
A probe into the incident has been ordered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the sources said. The probe will be headed by Joint Director (Investigation), DGCA, A K Chopra, they said, adding that he would be reaching here from New Delhi to join the investigation.
“Air India aircraft was on main runway, aircraft was ready for take off. It was stopped. President’s helicopter landed safely. Jt DGCA has reached Mumbai and investigations are on,” says Moushmi Chakraborty.
Pilot of Airbus-321 Captain S S Kohli wondered how the chopper landed when he had been given a clearance by the ATC to take off. "The chopper just landed without taking a landing clearance. I cannot say much more," he said.
An IAF spokesman said in New Delhi, "the pilots of the chopper had followed the instructions from Bombay approach meticulously. The Presidential entourage was cleared to take off from INS Kunjali and land at Santa Cruz between two taxiways".
An inquiry has been ordered by the IAF into the incident, he said.
A passenger on board the Air India flight said, "We were going to Delhi and there were few second left for flying and at that time the chopper came from upper side.
"Emergency brakes were applied by the captain," he said, adding that the passengers saw the chopper which had the Indian flag embossed on it.
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