Narrow escape for President Patil as chopper hits airport building in Bhubaneshwar
Bhubaneshwar: President Pratibha Patil had a narrow escape on Wednesday evening as the chopper in which she was travelling hit an under construction shed at the airport here. Patil who is touring Orissa was accompanied by her husband Devi Singh Patil and State
governor Muralidhar Bhandare when the mishap occurred. They were returning from Puri
after inaugurating an urban haat. The three blades of the 16-seater chopper were bent
under the impact. All the passengers were reportedly safe and de-boarded from the
ill-fated chopper, and proceeded with their programs. An inquiry has been ordered. This
is the second incident, where President Patil's chopper escaped a crash. Earlier in
February, in Mumbai, the President's chopper was on the same runway in which a
passenger flight was about to land. But timely alert from the Air Traffic Control avoided a
major crash.
