New Delhi: A helicopter in which Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was travelling had to make an emergency landing in Lucknow on Saturday (March 7) owing to a technical failure. As a result of the glitch, the cockpit display of the helicopter shut down and smoke filled the aircraft mid-air, reported Hindustan Times.

A major mishap was averted when the helicopter was landed safely at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport with all six people on board, including the deputy CM being unharmed.

As per officials, Maurya had was going to Kaushambi to attend the inauguration of a two-day Saras Mahotsav and the helicopter had taken off at around 10:45am from a ground near La Martiniere College in Lucknow.

However, around 30 minutes into the flight, when the helicopter had climbed to around 2,000 feet and reached the Bachhrawan area which is around 50 km from Lucknow, the cockpit display suddenly went blank and smoke started to fill the cabin.

Thereafter, the pilots alerted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and sought permission for an emergency landing.

After receiving clearance, the helicopter was turned back towards Lucknow and made a safe landing at around 11:15am. Emergency response teams, including fire tenders and ambulances, were placed on standby at the airport, reported Hindustan Times.

Apart from deputy chief minister Maurya, the other people on board were two pilots, an adviser, a security personnel and a support staff member. Maurya later left for Kaushambi in another helicopter.

According to officials, initial assessments suggest a malfunction in the helicopter’s electronic system which resulted into the cockpit display failure. Further inspection is being conducted to know the exact cause, said officials.

The helicopter belongs to the Uttar Pradesh government and is operated by the state’s civil aviation department.

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