Charter Aircraft Makes Forced Landing Near Rourkela; Six Injured
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi expressed sorrow over the incident and wished the injured a speedy recovery
Bhubaneswar: A nine-seater charter aircraft made a forced landing near Jalda, about 10 km from Rourkela in Odisha, on Friday, leaving six people injured. Officials said all the injured are stable and undergoing treatment.
The aircraft, which was flying from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela, was carrying four passengers—two men and two women—and two pilots. All six were shifted to JP Hospital and Rourkela Government Hospital and are under close medical observation.
Rourkela Superintendent of Police Nitesh Wadhwani said arrangements have been made to airlift the injured to higher medical facilities if required. The site of the incident has been secured and security personnel deployed.
Clarifying the incident, Bhubaneswar Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan said the aircraft did not crash but made a forced landing shortly before reaching Rourkela. “The aircraft took off from Bhubaneswar at 12.27 pm. At 1.14 pm, Rourkela Air Traffic Control received a May Day call, which was approved. The pilot informed ATC that he was landing the aircraft in agricultural land. The last communication was received at 1.17 pm, after which contact was lost,” he said.
Pradhan added that a team of officials of Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is scheduled to reach Rourkela on Sunday to conduct an on-the-spot inquiry. According to official sources, a team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to carry out a preliminary assessment.
Sundargarh Collector Subhankar Mohapatra said a thorough investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the incident, including possible technical faults in the aircraft.
For coordination and on-ground supervision, two civil aviation officials from Bhubaneswar have been deputed to Rourkela. The situation is being monitored at senior levels, with the principal secretary of the transport department overseeing the response.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi expressed sorrow over the incident and wished the injured a speedy recovery. In a post on social media platform X, he said he was personally monitoring the situation and had directed officials to ensure the best possible medical care for those injured.