Hubballi: Congress president, Rahul Gandhi had a flight scare on Thursday as his aircraft lost radar contact for over three minutes as the pilot reportedly flew above the prescribed altitude while landing at the Hubballi airport. While the airport authorities denied any technical snag on the flight, the Congress party has alleged intentional tampering with the aircraft.
Mr Gandhi was heading for Uttara Kannada district to campaign for the May 12 assembly poll when the aircraft lost contact. The airport authorities have sought an explanation from the pilot and are holding the plane for 24-hour observation.
KPCC general secretary, Shakir Sanadi, in a complaint against the pilot at the Gokul police station raised serious questions about the possibility of intentional tampering with the aircraft and spoke of multiple unexplained technical snags during the flight coupled with the failure of the auto pilot system. Calling for a thorough investigation, he said the aircraft was able to land only at the third attempt.
Mr Gandhi's aide Kaushal K Vidyarthee, who was on the special flight with him and three others, also said in a complaint that "unexplained and multiple technical failures" occurred during the course of the journey which left those onboard fearful for their lives. He said the plane experienced "shuddering and altitude-dipping" which were "not natural or weather-related."
News agency ANI, however, quoted the Hubballi airport authority as saying that it had not received any complaint and there was no skidding upon the plane's landing as reported in a section of the media.
While Deputy Commissioner, Dr S B Bommanahalli said he would order a probe into the incident, officials from the Prime Minister's Office reportedly spoke to Mr Gandhi following the flight scare.
Mr Gandhi, who returned to Karnataka on Thursday to campaign for the coming poll and release his party's manifesto, later headed for Ankola, Kumta and Bhatkal towns for his planned roadshows and public rallies.
