While the industrialist — whose Indian private pilot license (PPL) lapsed way back in 2001 — claims he wasn't flying on Tuesday, it has now emerged that he allegedly did that many times in the past. And that too without informing air traffic control!
Ironically, the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) pointed this out in a letter to the state government.
"Private pilot license of Sam Verma was valid till October 12, 2001. He has been flying (Piper Navajo aircraft, VT-ERX) without valid license... He (Verma) flies from Betul to Rewa, Satna and various other uncontrolled airfields. Air traffic control (ATC) Bhopal, Indore, Nagpur and regional executive director, Airports Authority of India, Mumbai have also been intimated in this regard. Now a days he is flying the aircraft between uncontrolled airfields without concurrence/ intimation to ATC," DGCA's deputy director (airworthiness) R B Soni wrote in a letter to Madhya Pradesh's principal secretary (aviation) on June 24, 2013.
Worryingly, Soni added that the aircraft then did not have a valid certificate of airworthiness (C of A) when Verma reportedly flew it. "It is pertinent to point out that aircraft having valid C of A and pilot license are regulatory requirement in general and for the prevention of life and property of the state," the letter said. TOI has a copy of this letter. Soni was later transferred to Bangalore.
When contacted, Verma, alleged: "Soni had demanded money for giving certificate of worthiness for my aircraft. I complained to aviation minister Ajit Singh. Soni's letter was an act of revenge."
He said: "I was not flying the aircraft on Tuesday and my pilot, Jacob, was. I have never broken the law. The DGCA official was transferred as he (allegedly) wanted money. He was to be suspended but was only transferred. Aviation ministry and DGCA officials in Delhi know this. They conducted an investigation after I complained to them." Verma reportedly holds a license issued by the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Betul district collector R P Mishra has ordered a separate probe against Verma. Reportedly, the same plane had made a similar landing on the same highway on December 23.
DGCA sources said Verma continued to fly despite that and they were forced to helplessly watch him flout the law because of his 'connections'. Giving an example of his 'clout', a source said: "Soni asked who would fly the plane for inspection. When he found that Verma — who did not have a valid Indian flying licence — would be doing the test flight, he refused to grant the same. Later Verma complained to aviation authorities in Delhi and the official was transferred," said a source.
Verma got a valid C of A for his plane. He added that the only issue relevant here was that high towers erected illegally close to his airstrip made the landing there difficult.
Meanwhile, state police and the district administration have initiated a probe to ascertain the reasons behind landing of Verma's plane on the highway in Betul.
"We are collecting information from intelligence bureau and civil aviation department. Legal action will be taken if valid documents are not found," Ajay Sharma, inspector general (Hoshangabad range), told TOI.
Story and Comments/Reaction: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Indian officials and bystanders gather around a light aircraft after it
landed on a public highway in Betul, some 50km south of Bhopal in the
central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, on Dec 31, 2013. A wealthy
businessman who landed his private plane on a highway in central India
this week had been flying without a license, reports said on Thursday,
Jan 2, 2014.
Betul: Owing to heavy winds, a private Cessna plane was forced to land on the National highway 69 near Betul in Madhya Pradesh.
There has been no damage to life or property in the incident.
According to initial reports, the plane is owned by an industrialist from Betul.
One of the employers said, "The wind direction changed suddenly and the plane was unable to land on the airstrip. So we informed the police who cleared the highway. The plane circled the area until the highway was cleared and then the plane made an emergency landing."
Soon after the incident conspiracy theories have started doing the rounds as to why was the aircraft not landed on the airstrip which was in close vicinity. Locals are alleging that the industrialist owner has had some problems with the National Highway authorities.
http://ibnlive.in.com
Bhopal: A four-seater private plane made an emergency landing on a busy highway at Betul, 200 km from Bhopal, in Madhya Pradesh today.
The aircraft, owned by NRI businessman Sam Verma, landed at Betul-Nagpur National Highway 69 at around 9.30 am this morning, blocking the traffic for more than 30 minutes.
Police rushed to the spot and diverted the busy traffic.
The plane was supposed to land at the runway inside Mr Verma’s tyre factory nearby, but strong wind in the opposite direction forced the pilot to land on the highway. Only the pilot of the aircraft, Jacob, was on board when the plane landed on the highway.
“The plane was going to land on my private runway near the four-lane highway, but as the wind was too strong, the pilot had to make an emergency landing on the national highway. I have complained to the NHAI as the towers of their toll plaza near my runway create problems in take-off and landing of my aircraft,” Mr Verma told NDTV.
The aircraft was on the highway for hours as Mr Verma insisted senior officials of the NHAI come and meet him at the spot. However, after a while the cops finally convinced him to move the aircraft. The traffic during this period was diverted to other lanes.
The area’s Collector told NDTV RK Mishra said, “We will now get the incident probed by the DGCA, and also will be reopening 2007 case against Sam Verma, whose runway is partly built on encroached government land.”
The administration is now talking of a probe into the cause of this risky landing.
http://www.ndtv.com
A private Cessna aircraft of an NRI industrialist made an emergency landing on National Highway 69 near Betul in Madhya Pradesh around 9.35am on Tuesday after strong winds foiled the pilot’s bid to land at an airstrip.
Industrialist Sam Varma was not in his 4-seater aircraft, which had taken off from the airstrip on his company — Michigan Rubber (India) Ltd — premises in Betul, about 175 km southeast of state capital Bhopal.
“Pilot Jacob informed me about the difficulty in landing. There was a strong wind from the east side. The landing was done successfully with the support of the (Betul district) administration,” Varma told mediapersons.
“Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the process.”
Varma said the aircraft could not land from the other end because the National Highways Authority of India had raised 110-foot pillars at that side near the airstrip while building NH 69.
The pilot made at least three attempts to land at the company airstrip, but had to make the rounds in the air for almost an hour before the administration could line up the emergency runway on the NH, with precautionary measures in place.
The pilot’s initial suggestion to Varma was to go for an emergency landing in a nearby water reservoir, but Varma, an aviation expert himself, got in touch with the district administration to chart the highway landing.
NH 69, which runs from Obaidullahganj (MP) to Nagpur (Maharashtra) is being four-laned. The administration chose a stretch and stopped traffic to facilitate the landing. Fire tenders and a police contingent were also deployed.
Varma said all necessary permission had been taken for the flight. On the pilot, he stuck to the name Jacob, without sharing details. “Friends often fly the plane. There is nothing wrong in it.”
