Private Aircraft In UP Skids Off Runway While Taking Off, Lands In Grass

A private jet skidded off the runway seconds after it took off from an airstrip in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad for Bhopal on Thursday, officials said.

The occupants of the aircraft, top members of a private food processing company, had a narrow escape as the aircraft briefly went out of control and skidded for around 400 metres before coming to a halt.

The incident took place at the Mohammadabad airstrip. 

A detailed investigation is underway but sources said low air pressure in the tyres of the aircraft appear to have been the reason behind the incident.

Members of Woodpecker Greenagri Nutrients Private Limited - Deputy Managing Director Ajay Arora, SBI Head Sumit Sharma, BPO Rakesh Tiku - along with Captain Naseeb Bamal and Captain Prateek Fernandes were on board the jet.

The company's Uttar Pradesh project head Manish Kumar Pandey said the aircraft took off at 10.30am on the VT Day jet provided by Jet Serve Aviation Private Limited. Arora said they will now take another flight from Agra to Bhopal.

Pandey alleged the pilot's negligence, saying he was aware of the low air pressure in the wheels of the aircraft.

The fire brigade, meanwhile, claimed to have received no information about the scheduled takeoff. They also claimed that the treasury fee was not deposited. 

Following the incident, Kotwali in-charge Vinod Kumar Shukla rushed to the spot along with Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajay Verma, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sadar Rajnikanth, Additional Sub-District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar, and regional accountant Sanjay Kumar.

Captain Bamal and Captain Fernandes are yet to comment on the matter.