DHAKA: India’s Congress president Rahul Gandhi and four passengers on a chartered flight from Delhi to Karnataka got a major scare on Thursday (April 26) after the aircraft reportedly developed “multiple faults”, reports NDTV. 

The incident has triggered a complaint to seek a probe to determine if there was any “intentional tampering” of the aircraft.

According to the complaint filed by Congress functionary Kaushik Vidyarthee, a key member of Rahul Gandhi's team who was accompanying the Congress president, the special flight that took off from Delhi around 9:20 am developed “unexplained technical failures” around 10:45 am, reports India media.

Hinting at the possibility of a conspiracy, the complaint said the plane “shuddered violently”, tilting to one side, while a noise was audible. The complaint also said the autopilot did not function and that the plane landed in Hubli only on the third attempt.

“It is to be stated that the weather outside was sunny, normal and not windy as per the observation of the passengers and as per the forecast of the day,” the complaint said. “The crew was also petrified and admitted that the flight was particularly frightening and uncommon,” it added.

Gandhi's plane, which brought him to Karnataka where he is leading the Congress's offensive against the BJP for next month's assembly elections, had taken off from Delhi at around 9.20 am.

At around 10.45 am, Vidyarthee said, the aircraft suddenly tilted to one side. It lost altitude and there was violent shuddering of the aircraft body though the weather outside was clear. A clanking noise was clearly audible from one side of the plane throughout, his letter said, recalling their 40-minute ordeal.

The complaint said the entire experience had left the passengers “with a lot of anxiety and distress" and positively fearing for their lives”. It also shook the crew, he said, who were apparently petrified, Vidyarthee said, describing the flight as "particularly frightening and uncommon".

“This is serious case of aviation mechanics failure. A serious accident was averted. A formal complaint has been submitted…” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told Indian media.

BDST: 1349 HRS, APR 27, 2018
SI