A helicopter carrying deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had to make an emergency landing in Lucknow on Saturday after a technical failure caused the cockpit display to shut down and smoke to fill the aircraft mid-air.
The helicopter landed safely at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, averting a potential mishap. All six people on board, including the deputy CM, were unharmed.
According to officials, Maurya had taken off at around 10:45am from a ground near La Martiniere College in Lucknow for Kaushambi to attend the inauguration of a two-day Saras Mahotsav.
About 30 minutes into the flight, when the helicopter had climbed to around 2,000 feet and reached the Bachhrawan area about 50 km from Lucknow, the cockpit display suddenly went blank. Soon after, smoke began filling the cabin.
Sensing a potential risk, the pilots alerted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and sought permission for an emergency landing. After receiving clearance, they turned the helicopter back towards Lucknow.
Emergency response teams, including fire tenders and ambulances, were placed on standby at the airport. The helicopter made a safe landing at around 11:15am and all passengers were evacuated safely. Besides Maurya, the helicopter was carrying two pilots, an adviser, a security personnel and a support staff member. Maurya later left for Kaushambi in another helicopter.
Initial assessments suggest a malfunction in the helicopter’s electronic system may have caused the cockpit display failure, officials said, adding that the exact cause will be known only after a detailed technical inspection. The helicopter belongs to the Uttar Pradesh government and is operated by the state’s civil aviation department.
Officials said the helicopter used in the flight was manufactured by the US aerospace company Bell Textron and is commonly deployed for VIP movement and rescue operations. It has a twin-engine system designed for safer emergency landings and can accommodate two pilots and up to 13-14 passengers, with a maximum speed of around 260 kmph.
Earlier on February 28, 2022, a helicopter carrying the deputy CM had to make an emergency landing in Kushinagar due to low fuel.