Fadnavis’ helicopter crash-lands in Latur, CM safe

Mumbai, May 25 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today escaped unhurt after his chopper crash-landed in Latur when the pilot tried to descend because of bad weather, soon after take-off. The helicopter, which had six persons on board including two crew members, got entangled in overhead wires while landing at Nilanga area where the CM had held a programme. “Our helicopter did meet with an accident in Latur but me and my team is absolutely safe and ok. Nothing to worry,” Fadnavis tweeted after the mishap. A senior official of the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) said the state government’s Sikorsky helicopter suffered substantial damage in the accident. After taking-off at around 12 pm today, the pilot observed a variable wind pattern and decided to land. During landing, the helicopter got entangled in wires, the official said, adding that all six persons who were on board are safe and escaped without serious injuries. The authorities spoke to commander of the flight as well as the chief minister. Both informed about the well-being of all occupants, the official said. Fadnavis had gone to Latur in Marathwada for the BJP’s ‘Shivar Samwad Sabha’, a statewide campaign to reach out to farmers. “I am safe. There was a minor accident involving the helicopter. People shouldn’t believe in rumours,” Fadnavis later told mediapersons. The Aircraft Accident Investigation (AIB) bureau, which comes under the Civil Aviation Ministry, will investigate the mishap. The AIB probes all accidents and serious incidents involving Indian aircraft. “Nobody got hurt. My media advisor Ketan Pathak has suffered minor injuries. With the blessings of 11 crore people of Maharashtra, I am safe,” he told reporters at Nilanga. He added that the pilot too had not been injured seriously. “This is a new helicopter. We will seek information from police on this incident,” the chief minister said. Recently, on a tour to Gadchiroli in Vidarbha region, his helicopter had suffered a technical snag, following which he had travel by road to Nagpur. PTI