CM Devendra Fadnavis once again faces trouble with helicopter ride

Six months ago, the helicopter Fadnavis was travelling in crash-landed in Latur

Helicopter rides have always been troublesome for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Almost six months after the helicopter he was travelling in crash-landed in Latur, once again on Thursday, the pilot was forced to land some distance away from the designated helipad in Bhayander. Sources said that because a cable was lying on the ground near the helipad, the pilot diverted the chopper to a different spot and landed on a school ground.

Though CMO officials and the Thane police did not corroborate the version, a local BJP legislator, Narendra Mehta, is said to have told party workers that the helicopter didn't land at the designated spot. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a local official said, "The cable could have got entangled with the helicopter's rotors had it landed on the designated helipad. Considering the risk involved in it, the pilot safely landed the chopper at a different spot on a school ground."

Government sources said that after the event, the CM, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and two other officials travelled by road to Mumbai, as the pilot had told them that he could ferry only two passengers. "Just to ensure that nobody was left out, the CM, Gadkari and the two ministers travelled by car to Mumbai," said the official.

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