Lakhimpur (Assam): A major tragedy was averted as a training aircraft developed a technical snag and made an emergency landing at Lakhimpur's Lilabari airport, which is the second largest in the northeast on Wednesday night. A trainee pilot sustained minor injuries.
The training aircraft belonged to the Red Bird Aviation Private Limited that runs a pilot training centre in Lilabari airport. The aircraft took off from the airport with a trainer pilot and a trainee last evening. It was returning after a routine sortie and was about to land when the wheel reportedly did not open.
As soon as the pilot sent a message about this crisis to the airport, there was panic at the port. An emergency was declared at the airport and the fire brigade was made operational. Special liquids were poured on the runway to make the landing as much smooth as possible. The police and the Central Industrial Security Force were also kept on the standby.
There was a possibility that the aircraft might catch fire following landing without wheels on the runway. The pilot of the aircraft depicted intelligence and kept the aircraft hovering in the sky for a long time. The moment the aircraft ran out of fuel, the pilot was able to make the emergency land at the end of the runway.
The plane made a dangerous landing at night but luckily no major accident took place. There was a spark in friction during the landing but no fire broke out due to lack of fuel. It has been learnt that the trainee pilot was slightly injured but her condition is not serious. The intelligence and courage of the trainer pilot helped in averting a major accident, airport sources said.
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The pilot training centre of Red Bird Aviation Private Limited was started around two years back. It was formally inaugurated by Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia in the presence of chief minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma. Many aspiring pilots from the northeast undergo training at this centre.
