Rourkela: Senior specialist doctors arrived in Rourkela from Bhubaneswar on Sunday to evaluate the health condition of those injured in Saturday’s nine-seater IndiaOne Air Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft crash-landing incident, the Directorate of Aviation informed on Sunday.
A three-member team of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has also begun its probe into the crash, suspected to involve a technical glitch such as a sudden drop in cabin pressure leading to loss of balance.
Speaking to the media, Principal Secretary of the Commerce & Transport Department, Usha Padhee, who is overseeing the entire operation, said that an air ambulance will also be provided for lifting the injured passengers and crew if needed. “A state helicopter was deployed to transport the investigation team and two senior medical professionals to the site. A state-level doctors’ team has also been constituted and it is coordinating with the authorities of JP Hospital in Rourkela,” she said, adding that the government is extending comprehensive logistical and medical support to ensure prompt care for the injured and to facilitate a thorough probe.
The Odisha government has been coordinating with the Centre, the district administration in Sundargarh, and the airline following the dramatic emergency landing by the aircraft near Rourkela the previous afternoon. The pilots executed a controlled forced landing in an open agricultural field near Jalda/Kansor about 15-20 km from the airport after a MAYDAY distress call to air traffic control around 1.14 pm, averting a more significant tragedy. All six individuals on board — two pilots and four passengers — survived the incident, though they sustained injuries, primarily minor. They were rescued by local authorities, fire services from Rourkela and Panposh stations, and shifted to hospitals, including JP Hospital and Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) for treatment.
Initially, three passengers were admitted to JP Hospital, while the two pilots and one passenger were taken to Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH). Later, all six were transferred to JP Hospital in Rourkela and their condition is stated to be stable. “One passenger remains under close and continuous medical observation,” according to the latest health update.
Padhee further informed that the AAIB team has already conducted an aerial survey of the aircraft’s crash-landing site. “They have taken pictures of the site using a chopper provided by the state government. Subsequently, they will also carry out a detailed on-site inspection of the place where the aircraft made a crash landing,” she said, adding that all arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the investigation, which is being done as per the guidelines and SOP of the DGCA.
Officers from the Directorate of Aviation are also stationed in Rourkela.
Earlier, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep concern but relief, stating he is personally monitoring the situation and has directed the best possible medical services for the injured. Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena described it as a “major accident” averted, crediting the pilots and emphasising the government’s commitment to aviation safety.
The incident has once again spotlighted the challenges of regional connectivity in areas like Odisha, where IndiaOne Air provides vital services under viability gap funding from the state government since 2022.
