Indian medical plane makes emergency landing in Dhaka after door opens mid air, patient dies
The Beechcraft King Air C90A aircraft at Shahjalal Airport following an emergency landing. Photo: Collected
An air ambulance made an emergency landing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka following a mechanical fault that opened its door mid air while flying from Agartala to Kolkata of India.
After landing at noon on Sunday, the ailing Indian woman on board, Anjana Bhowmik, was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Md. Riaz Uddin, Senior Officer (Administration) of the airport, confirmed the information to Agamir Somoy.
He said the air ambulance, engaged in a medical evacuation (medevac) mission, departed from Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala, India, bound for Kolkata. The aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air C90A model with registration number VT-HYA, had seven people on board at the time of departure at 1:05 pm Indian time: two pilots, one patient, one doctor, and one paramedic.
When the aircraft reached an altitude of 12,000 feet, a fault occurred in the cabin pressure control system. As a result, the main door of the aircraft was damaged and partially opened. In this situation, to ensure the safety of passengers and crew, the pilot declared an emergency and decided to make an emergency landing in Dhaka.
Airport authorities said preparations were made to deal with the emergency situation before the aircraft landed. Firefighting and rescue vehicles, ambulances, doctors, and relevant emergency service agencies were kept ready. The aircraft later landed safely at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 1:40 pm local time.
After landing, the crew and other passengers of the aircraft were safe. However, the ailing patient, Anjana Bhowmik, was quickly taken to Kurmitola Multicare Specialized Hospital in the capital. The doctor on duty there declared her dead.
According to the aircraft's passenger testimony, Anjana Bhowmik is an Indian citizen. She was accompanied by Dr. Firoz Khan, paramedic Azim Khan, and two companions, Santa Bhowmik and Deep Jyoti Mishra. The pilot in command was Captain Punya Anup, and the co-pilot was Captain Tanuj Sharma. The air ambulance was operated by India's SKB Infracon Private Limited.
Airport authorities further said that although the formalities regarding the necessary clearance for the crew and other occupants were not completed, they were assisted on humanitarian grounds and as part of international cooperation. Through contact and coordination with the Indian Embassy in Dhaka, assistance was provided in the process of obtaining diplomatic clearance. Representatives of the embassy also appeared at the scene and coordinated with the relevant authorities.
Present at the scene were the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), Member (Operations), Member (Air Traffic Management), and the Executive Director of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. They observed the situation and coordinated the necessary activities.
