Puri, June 8: A helicopter in which Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and some of his key officials were on board, couldn’t land here at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) on Monday due to strong wind triggered by norwester.
It had to make emergency landing at Talabania helipad in Puri for priority landing.
The CM, after attending a crucial meeting in Mayurbhanj, was returning to Bhubaneswar.
After a 20-minute wait mid-air over the Bhubaneswar airport, the helicopter left for Puri in the afternoon for safe landing as the city was witnessing heavy rain with gusting wind then, said sources. Following the emergency landing, CM Majhi returned Bhubaneswar on road at about 5.5 pm.
“There was heavy wind and the air traffic control here didn’t allow the chopper for landing. The pilot took a call to take it to the nearest helipad for safety landing. The helicopter was already in Bhubaneswar sky and had descended for landing,” said an airport official.
IMD sources said the wind speed was around 80 kmph and it was unsafe for the pilot to land.
