Rourkela, Jan 11: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will shortly arrive in Odisha for the investigation into the aircraft crash landing incident in Rourkela's Jalda.


According to reports, the aircraft reportedly developed a technical snag mid-air and began descending unexpectedly.


In an official release by the Directorate of Aviation, VT-KSS, which was flying from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela, force-landed at a place near Jalda, when it was just 8 Nautical miles short of reaching Rourkela.


It said that the aircraft departed Bhubaneshwar in the afternoon and the crew declared a “MAYDAY” to Rourkela ATC.


Following a distress “MAYDAY” call, the pilots managed to execute a force landing, saving all six onboard.


DGCA said the forced landing site is around 15 to 20 km short of Rourkela Airport. It said that there were four passengers and two crew members on board the aircraft. All are safe and have been taken to a hospital.


Taking note of the incident, the DGCA ordered a detailed probe into the incident. Acting on this, a special team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will arrive to conduct the inquiry.


Officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) representing Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, and Jharsuguda airports, along with a state government team, will jointly participate in the investigation process.


Authorities will examine why and under what circumstances the aircraft suffered a mechanical failure mid-air. The probe aims to determine whether the issue was due to technical negligence, maintenance lapses, or unforeseen operational challenges.


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The safe landing and survival of all passengers and crew have been termed a fortunate escape, but the incident has raised serious concerns about charter flight safety and operational standards in the region.