TEAM HERALD
VASCO: In what could be a breach of security at Dabolim airport, a Goa-Mumbai-Ahmedabad flight with 10 sarpanchas on board made an emergency landing, after a loader who was sleeping in the luggage haul jumped out on Friday evening.
According to sources, the Spice Jet SG-138 Goa-Mumbai-Ahmedabad while taking off from the Dabolim airport at 4.30 pm was directed by the Air Traffic Control (ATF) to land back as they noticed a man jumping out of the luggage haul.
Sources said a bomb disposal squad was pressed into service and the security personnel checked the flight almost for one hour and the plane was allowed to take off at 6.50 pm.
Sources further informed that a loader, who was sleeping in the luggage haul, jumped out when the plane reached the take-off point and was in the process of taking off.
“The loader opened the hatch of the luggage haul and jumped out and ran into the bushes,” informed the source.
Later, Navy personnel conducted a search operation and nabbed the loader and detained him for further interrogation.
Speaking to Herald, Orlim Sarpanch Gaudencio Luis who was in the flight said he along with nine other sarpanchas from Goa were flying to Ahmedabad as they were invited by the Gujarat government for some conference.
“After the security check, we boarded the Spice Jet Goa-Mumbai-Ahmedabad and after taking off, the ATF directed the flight to land again citing technical snag. Once the flight landed, dog squad and other security personnel were pressed into service and the luggage haul was checked for almost one hour,” informed Luis.
Luis said they were informed about someone jumping out from the luggage haul while the flight was at the take-off point. “Due to the incident and security check, the flight was delayed,” added Luis.
