Alert pilots forcelands BhubaneswarRourkela flight, save all 6 on board

Bhubaneswar/Rourkela: An apparent engine failure forced pilots of an IndiaOne Air flight from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela to land on a field about 10 km from the airport, saving the lives of six on board.

The Cessna 208 Caravan single-engine, nine-seater aircraft had two crew members and four passengers. All were safely evacuated with minor injuries. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe after it emerged that the plane may have scraped a high tension wire while force-landing on the field at Kainser village in Sundargarh district.

DIG (western range) Brijesh Rai, who spoke to one of the pilots, said they handled the situation carefully so that there was minimum damage to the plane and all could escape unhurt.

I spoke to co-pilot (Tarun Srivastava) and he shared how they both deftly handled the situation. I didnt inquire much as he was profusely bleeding from the face. They have done a commendable job as at that life-and-death moment, they did not lose their cool and kept manoeuvring till the plane was on the ground, Rai told TOI.

The flight took off from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar at 12:27 pm and was scheduled to land in Rourkela at 1:19 pm. Close to the airport, the pilot sounded a May Day alert and informed the Rourkela ATC that they are landing in the field. According to BPIA director Prasanna Pradhan, The plane force-landed at 1:17 pm, when the Rourkela ATC lost contact with the plane. The plane entered the Rourkela ATC zone at 12:58 pm. The four passengers and two crew members are safe.

A fire services team rushed to the site for rescue operation. Foam and water were sprinkled on the aircraft as oil was leaking.

The aircraft had scraped a high tension electric wire before force-landing, causing power failure in 10 nearby villages. But there is no report of mid-air shock, SP (Rourkela) Nitesh Wadhwani said. Sources said a fact-finding team from DGCA was on its way to the site.

Those on board were identified as captains Naveen Kadanga and Tarun Srivastava and passengers Susanta Kumar Biswal, Anita Sahoo, Sunil Agarwal and Sabita Agarwal.

Siblings Susanta and Anita are residents of Vevdyas Naditola in Rourkela, while husband-wife Sunil and Sabita stay in Bhubanewar and were on their way to Rourkela to attend a family event.

Talking about the incident, transport minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena said, The plane slightly nosedived due to sudden drop in pressure and lost balance while flying, leading to the crash. There was minor damage to the fuselage, but the wings are intact. An investigation will be carried out soon and we will try to normalise flight operations in Rourkela.

Aviation experts said engine failure could be the reason behind the forced landing. From the position and place of the crash, it looks like the pilot deliberately glided the plane, choosing a field to ensure the safety of those on board, a district administration officer said.

In another eight nautical miles, the runway of Rourkela airstrip would have been visible. But the pilots may have realised they would not be able to make the distance, an aviation expert pointed out. Engine failure must have been a grave warning that made the pilot suspend further manoeuvring to fly. From the initial impression it looks like things could have been disastrous had the plane not been force-landed. It looks like a nicely executed landing that ensured safety of crew and passengers, the expert added.

Sundargarh collector Subhankar Mohapatra said the condition of passengers and crew members was stable. Two of them — a captain and a passenger —sustained head injuries. If any further medical assistance is required, support will be provided, Mohapatra said.

The crash site has been secured and it has been cordoned off to protect the plane parts that may help in the investigation, the Rourkela SP added.

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