Pune: Major Mishap Averted as Chhagan Bhujbal’s Chopper Lands in Parking Area Instead of Helipad
Pune, 11th April 2026: A major mishap was averted during the landing of a helicopter carrying Maharashtra’s food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal at Khanwadi village in Purandar taluka on Saturday after the aircraft was mistakenly brought down in a car parking area instead of the designated helipad, triggering brief chaos at the venue.
The minister had arrived in the Pune district to attend a programme organised on the occasion of Mahatma Phule birth anniversary.
According to officials, both the minister and the pilot were safe and unharmed in the incident. A video of the landing shows the helicopter touching down in an open space close to the helipad. Preliminary information suggests that the pilot may have mistaken the parking area for the landing zone, possibly due to reduced visibility caused by dust kicked up by the helicopter’s rotors.
Police personnel at the site later alerted the pilot about the error, following which the helicopter was repositioned to the designated helipad.
Authorities are likely to initiate an inquiry into the incident to determine whether the helipad markings were clearly visible, if there was any technical issue, or if the lapse was due to human error. The incident has raised concerns over coordination and safety protocols during VIP movements.
Despite the incident, Bhujbal went ahead with his scheduled programme without any disruption. Officials said steps may be taken to ensure stricter monitoring and better coordination to prevent such incidents in the future.
