Images that were posted on Twitter soon after the crash showed flames and thick, black smoke rising from the wreckage. The plane is a Beechcraft King Air C90 turboprop. Several fire engines were rushed to the site. The plane crash in Mumbai is the second such incident in Maharashtra this week.
In a similar vein, A Sukhoi jet on test flight crashed in Nashik on Wednesday.The Sukhoi jet awaiting induction in the air force crashed this morning in Maharashtra’s Nashik when it was on a test flight. Both pilots in the aircraft ejected safely before the plane crashed near a grape farm.
Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has asked officials to rush to the spot to assist in the relief operations, an official in the ministry was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. The minister also asked the investigation authorities to ascertain the cause of the crash.
Suresh Prabhu praised the pilot and said it was his presence of mind that “saved many lives”.
Soon after the plane crashed, police, fire brigade and disaster management teams rushed to the spot, Akhilesh Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-7) told PTI.
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The Uttar Pradesh government said the plane that crashed near Mumbai this afternoon was sold by the state government to a private company in 2014, news agency PTI reported.
“This aircraft was not that of the Uttar Pradesh government. It was sold in 2014 to a private company UY Aviation,” Principal Secretary, Information, Avinish Awasthi said.