Dehradun: A tragedy was averted on Saturday when one of the tyres of an IAF plane, with ten people on board including a senior officer, burst while landing at Jolly Grant airport, 30 km east of the city, this morning.
The incident occurred after the 45-seater Avro plane of the IAF landed on the runway, Dehradun SSP Sadanand Date said.
Everyone on board the plane, including a Lt Gen-rank officer, escaped unhurt, but the incident has affected flight operations with the aircraft still stuck on the runway making it impossible for flights to either take off or land.
"There is no reason to worry as everyone is safe. But with the plane stuck on the runway, flights are blocked. A chopper from IAF's Agra airbase has arrived with a team of technical staff to replace the tyre and clear the runway so that flight operations could be restored," Date said. Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Authorities were not available for comment immediately.
