Naval aircraft retrieved from marshland after forced landing

Kochi, Nov 13 (UNI) The Indian Navy's Islander aircraft, which made a forced landing on a paddy field after engine failure last week, has been retrieved and brought back to the Southern Naval Command base here.

A spokesman for the Naval Command said today the aircraft was brought back here last evening on board two trailers.

A Board of Inquiry, constituted to look into the incident, had started work to ascertain the cause of the mishap, he said.

The five naval personnel aboard the aircraft were back on duty after a medical check up showed they had suffered no injuries.

The Islander aircraft, on a training sortie, made a forced landing on paddy field at Piravom in Kottayam district of Kerala, about 23 km from here, on the morning of November ten after the engine failed.

The operation to retrieve the aircraft took time as it was stuck in marshland, the spokesman said. Heavy rains during the past few days also hampered the work. The aircraft was transported after its wings, undercarriage and main body were dismantled.

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