The state-owned aircraft had crash-landed in Gwalior on Might 6, 2021.
Bhopal:
A Madhya Pradesh pilot, amongst those that had been dubbed “Covid warriors” for placing their lives in danger through the pandemic, has been handed over a invoice of Rs 85 crore by the state authorities for inflicting harm to an plane final yr as a result of he crash-landed on the Gwalior airport. Captain Majid Akhtar, alongside together with his co-pilot with the Madhya Pradesh authorities, was ferrying samples of suspected COVID-19 patients and a shipment of drugs used to deal with contaminated sufferers when the plane hit the arrestor barrier on the runway throughout touchdown. The pilot has alleged that he was not knowledgeable of the barrier that brought on the accident and in addition demanded an inquiry to search out out who didn’t observe up on the insurance coverage of the aeroplane if it wasn’t insured earlier than being allowed to function, as is the norm.
The state authorities, in its cost sheet to the pilot final week, had claimed that the state aircraft that price round Rs 60 crore was diminished to scrap due to the crash. They added one other Rs 25 crore as the associated fee to rent planes from different personal operators as a consequence.


Captain Majid Akhtar in his reply to the cost sheet, that has been accessed by NDTV, has stated the crash was brought on by the arrestor barrier put in on the Gwalior airport about which he was not knowledgeable by the Air Site visitors Controller (ATC). The pilot, who has flying expertise of over 27 years, has additionally alleged that he was not supplied with the contents of the black field which incorporates all of the directions acquired from the Gwalior ATC.
The state-owned aircraft had crash-landed in Gwalior on Might 6, 2021. The plane, a Beech Craft King Air B 250 GT, was carrying 71 packing containers of Remdesivir from Ahmedabad to Gwalior when it landed on the Gwalior runway after hitting the arrestor barrier. Three individuals, together with pilot Majid Akhtar, co-pilot Shiv Jaiswal and naib tehsildar Dilip Dwivedi, had escaped with minor accidents.
The Directorate Normal of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s civil aviation regulator, had suspended Mr Akhtar’s flying licence for a yr. The Plane Accident Investigation Bureau can also be investigating the case.
The state authorities is silent over how the plane was allowed to fly with out following up on the necessary insurance coverage protocols. Consultants say the federal government may have recovered the price of the aircraft even after it was diminished to scrap had the insurance coverage protocols been adopted.
The incident had resulted in main harm to the cockpit entrance, propeller blades, propeller hub and wheels of the newly-bought aircraft.
The state authorities has additionally held the pilot liable for failing to maintain his licence legitimate publish the crash. Mr Akhtar, in his reply to this cost, has stated that licences of a number of pilots have been suspended previously solely to be revoked later and that he shouldn’t be held responsible until the DGCA completes its enquiry.
The Madhya Pradesh authorities had purchased the plane, a seven-seater Beechcraft King, for greater than Rs 65 crore in 2019.
Officers within the state aviation division had been contacted for a response by way of repeated calls and messages however they didn’t reply.
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