Live Update on Ghatkopar plane crash: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visits Ghatkopar Crash site

In the aftermath of a chartered plane that crashed into Mumbai’s Ghatkopar killing five and injuring one, the company UY Aviation that purchased the aircraft from Uttar Pradesh in 2014 is not new to controversy. Last year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis survived a helicopter scare in Pen near Alibaug, and it has been learnt that the chopper belonged to the same company.

According to DNA, Fadnavis was about to board the chopper when the pilot took off before the CM boarded. Realising what had happened in the nick of time, Fadnavis turned back. The VT-UPB — a Bell 230 helicopter — was chartered from UY Aviation. This twin-engine helicopter was manufactured in 1995, and earlier owned by the UP government. However, it was rarely used by UP chief ministers as the UP government felt it had performance issues. It was then purchased by Mumbai-based UY Aviation.

The chartered plane crash in Ghatkopar saw a dark fate for the deceased including two pilots, two aircraft maintenance engineers and a pedestrian. The 12-seater flight had taken off from Juhu for a test flight. The deceased were identified as Pilot Maria Kuber, co-pilot Pradeep Rajput and technicians Surabhi and Manish Pandey, according to ABP News.

Pradeep Rajput’s family has reached Rajawadi hospital, Ghatkopar, to identify his body.

While some reports claimed the civilian who died was a watchman at the under-construction building, he has not yet been officially identified. The two injured men, Luvkush Kumar and Naresh Kumar Nishad, are undergoing treatment.

The plane reportedly belonged to a firm called UY Aviation and had been in service since August 1995. The Uttar Pradesh government had sold the plane to the company after an accident in Allahabad. The black box of the chartered plane has been recovered and officials are now conducting an investigation.

Also Read: Not responsible for aircraft maintenance or crash, says UP Minister Nand Gopal Gupta

Visuals of the crash showed flames and black smoke rising from the wreckage. Fire services personnel took about an hour to douse the blaze.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis arrived at the site to assess and control the damage as well as to condole the relatives of the deceased and find the root cause of the plane crash. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is at the site of the chartered plane crash in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar. “It is a worrying incident. What were the reasons behind the crash and who is responsible for it needs to be found out,” Fadnavis said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visits the site of chartered plane crash in Mumbai's Ghatkopar, says, "It is a worrying incident. What were the reasons behind the crash and who is responsible for it needs to be found out." 5 people lost their lives in the crash. pic.twitter.com/G6Aj1VT9UK

— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2018