Air ambulance loses wheel during takeoff; Safely belly-lands at Mumbai airport

New Delhi, May 06: An air ambulance lost a wheel during takeoff from the Nagpur airport Thursday, but safely belly-landed at the Mumbai airport on a foam carpet, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said.

Foam carpet is created on the runway by spreading foam using fire extinguishers so that the plane does not catch fire during an emergency landing.

"A Jet Serve ambulance with a patient onboard lost a wheel during takeoff from Nagpur. Showing immense presence of mind Capt Kesari Singh belly landed the aircraft on foam carpeting in Mumbai," Puri said on Twitter.

"All onboard are safe. Commendable effort by DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), CSMIA (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai) and other agencies," he added.

The plane was supposed to fly from Nagpur to Hyderabad. But due to loss of wheel, it had to land in Mumbai.