16 December,2016 09:49 AM IST | | Samiullah Khan
Flight technician Sanjeev Shankar, who had a lucky escape in the Aarey Colony helicopter crash on Sunday, tells the police what happened that fateful afternoon
The spot in Aarey Colony where the helicopter crashed
The technician injured in the Aarey helicopter crash on Sunday, Sanjeev Shankar (24) has been discharged from the hospital. Shankar, who had fractured his hand and leg, went to Aarey police station to claim his cellphone that had been taken into custody by the police during the spot panchnama.
So far, after pilot Praful Mishra's on-the-spot death, another injured, passenger Ritesh Modi, succumbed in the hospital. His wife Brinda is still undergoing treatment at SevenHills hospital.
Shankar recorded his statement before the police on what happened inside the helicopter that fateful afternoon.
Technician's statement
In his statement he said, "I have been staying in Naigaon with my family since December 2015. I work as a trainee technician with Aman Aviation and Airspace Company that owns the helicopter.
Technician Sanjeev Shankar
"On December 11, I accompanied pilot Praful Mishra for one a tour with the couple... After taking a tour of the Powai lake and the Vihar lake, we toured around Goregaon Filmcity."
He added, "On our return, Mishra realised that that there was some technical snag. He contacted Air Traffic Control about the snag and also informed that he would be making an emergency landing.
"As the pilot started to ground the helicopter, he spotted some children playing on the ground. He diverted the chopper, which then hit a tree and crashed."
"I was stuck as Mishra fell on me after the crash. I could not move because of the seatbelt I had on. However, soon, locals rushed to our rescue..." Shankar said.
