Rourkela: Two passengers, who sustained hip and spine fractures during the emergency crash-landing of a nine-seater aircraft near Rourkela in Odisha, were airlifted to Mumbai on Sunday.
According to an official release, the two injured persons — Savita Agrawal and Sunil Agrawal — were airlifted to Fortis Hospital in Mumbai at their own request on Sunday. Their condition is stable and out of danger, with no threat to life, it added.
The incident involved a Cessna Grand Caravan 208B operated by IndiaOne Air, leaving all six people on board injured but with no fatalities. The aircraft was operating flight from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela when the crew declared a Mayday due to a suspected technical fault around 1.14 pm. It made a forced landing at approximately 1.20 pm in an open field near Kansar/Jalda, about 15-20 km short of Rourkela airstrip. All six occupants — four passengers and two pilots — suffered injuries of varying severity and were initially admitted to JP Hospital in Rourkela.
Another passenger, Anita Sahu (50), underwent surgery for a lacerated wound and brain contusion and remains stable in ICU. Sushant Kumar Biswal (46), who suffered a head injury with contusion, is in critical condition on ventilator support and has pre-existing conditions including chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, and diabetes. The pilots, Naveen Kadanga (46) and Tarun Srivastava (46), sustained facial bone fractures, underwent surgeries, and are stable under observation.
Meanwhile, teams from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) conducted an aerial survey via helicopter and on-ground inspection of the crash site to determine the exact cause. Odisha’s Commerce and Transport Secretary Usha Padhee also visited the site, reviewed rescue and medical efforts, and assured that the state government, under the personal monitoring of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, is providing prompt medical assistance, logistical support, and coordinated action.
The aircraft had been operating the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar route since December 5, 2025, under the Odisha government’s viability gap funding support to enhance regional connectivity.
