Close shave for President Patil’s chopper
By IANSWednesday, December 9, 2009
BHUBANESWAR - President Pratibha Patil Wednesday had a narrow escape when the rotor blades of her military helicopter grazed an abandoned building while landing at the airport here, a spokeswoman for the president said.
The incident happened at 5.05 p.m. when the chopper was returning to Bhubaneswar from the temple town of Puri carrying the president, who had come to Orissa Tuesday on a three-day visit.
The spokeswoman told IANS in New Delhi that the helicopter became “unstable for a minute” following the near collision. “The president is fine, nothing happened to her,” she said.
Patil was immediately shifted to the Raj Bhavan, the official said.
The president’s secretary then spoke to the secretary in the defence ministry to seek an enquiry into the near accident and to take “appropriate action”.
