“All occupants are safe. As a precautionary measure, they were taken to a hospital for medical examination,” said an official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), adding there were no reports of serious injuries.
According to the DGCA officials, the nine-seater private aircraft, registered as VT-KSS, departed Bhubaneshwar around 12.25 pm while operating flight IOA102 to Rourkela.
“At about 1.14 pm, the crew declared a ‘Mayday’ to Rourkela Air Traffic Control upon noticing a technical snag in the system, attempted a belly landing on a grassland, saving all passengers around 1.20 pm,” a DGCA official said.
The official said the landing site was approximately 15 to 20 km short of the Rourkela airport. There were four passengers and two crew members on board the aircraft at the time of the incident.
The airline said the crew detected a technical snag soon after departure and, following standard safety protocols, issued a ‘Mayday’ alert. It said that IndiaOne Air was coordinating with the aviation authorities and the Odisha Government to extend all required assistance to the passengers and crew, and to support the subsequent regulatory and investigative processes.
After the incident, the Rourkela SP, accompanied by the police personnel and fire service teams, rushed to the site. He said the area was sealed off and access was restricted as a safety precaution after aviation fuel was found leaking from the aircraft.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will conduct a detailed probe into the incident to ascertain the cause of the forced landing, the DGCA officials said.
IndiaOne Air is a scheduled commuter operator based in Bhubaneshwar with a fleet of three Cessna Grand C208B aircraft. The airline has been providing regional connectivity since 2022 within Odisha and to tier-III cities in neighbouring states under viability gap funding support from the Odisha Government.
“I am deeply saddened to learn about the plane crash that occurred in Rourkela. The news that all passengers are safe is reassuring. I have directed that immediate and best medical services be provided to those injured in this incident. I am personally monitoring the situation, and praying for the swift recovery of all,” said Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister of Odisha.
