A small chartered aircraft operated by IndiaOne Air (Caravan 208, Regn. VT-KSS) made a forced landing near Jalda A Block under Raghunathpali police limits in Rourkela on Saturday, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.
The flight had departed from Bhubaneswar at 12:27 hours and was scheduled to land in Rourkela at 1:15 PM. About 8 nautical miles short of its destination, the aircraft was forced to land due to suspected technical issues.
Onboard were four passengers and two crew members, including Capt. Naveen Kadanga and Capt. Tarun Srivastava. The injured passengers have been identified as Susanta Kumar Biswal, Anita Sahoo, Sunil Agarwal, and Sabita Agarwal.
Authorities confirmed that six people sustained injuries in the incident. All were safely evacuated and shifted to medical facilities in Rourkela. Currently, three passengers are being treated at JP Hospital, while two pilots and one passenger are under treatment at RGH, Rourkela. Officials reported that all are under medical observation and, importantly, no fatalities have occurred.
The District Administration rushed to the site upon receiving information and coordinated with rescue teams. Three fire brigade units, supported by police and local authorities, engaged in the operation. The Command Centre of Fire & Emergency Services oversaw efforts to secure the aircraft and assist the injured.
The Directorate of Civil Aviation (Commerce & Transport Department) confirmed that the accident has been reported to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of Civil Aviation, and all concerned authorities. As per regulations, the airline will submit detailed reports to the DGCA and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) for further action.
Eyewitnesses described panic as the aircraft attempted an emergency landing before coming down near Jalda. Officials have launched an investigation into the cause of the incident, while aviation safety concerns have once again come under focus in regional routes.
CM Majhi Expresses Grief, Assures Best Medical Care For Injured Passengers
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep grief over the plane crash near Rourkela on Saturday and assured immediate medical care for the injured passengers.
In a post on social media, Majhi said he was saddened to learn about the incident. He noted that it was reassuring to hear that all passengers were safe by the grace of Lord Jagannath.
“I have directed officials to provide the best possible medical treatment to those injured. I am personally monitoring the situation and praying to Lord Jagannath for the speedy recovery of everyone affected,” Majhi stated.
ରାଉରକେଲାଠାରେ ଘଟିଥିବା ବିମାନ ଦୁର୍ଘଟଣା ବିଷୟରେ ଜାଣି ମୁଁ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁଃଖିତ। ମହାପ୍ରଭୁ ଜଗନ୍ନାଥଙ୍କ କୃପାରୁ ସମସ୍ତ ଯାତ୍ରୀ ସୁରକ୍ଷିତ ଥିବା ଖବର ଆଶ୍ୱସ୍ତିକର। ଏହି ଘଟଣାରେ ଆହତ ହୋଇଥିବା ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିମାନଙ୍କୁ ତୁରନ୍ତ ସର୍ବୋତ୍ତମ ଚିକିତ୍ସା ସେବା ଯୋଗାଇବା ପାଇଁ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦେଶ ଦେଇଛି। ମୁଁ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ଭାବେ ସ୍ଥିତି ଉପରେ ନଜର ରଖିଛି।…
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) January 10, 2026
Transport Minister Orders Probe, Confirms All Passengers Safe, Investigation To Follow
Odisha Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena reacted to the plane crash near Rourkela, describing it as a “major accident”, but confirmed that no lives were lost.
“All passengers onboard are safe. A mechanical fault is suspected to have caused the crash,” Jena stated.
The Minister assured that a detailed investigation will be conducted to determine the exact cause of the accident. He emphasised that the government is committed to ensuring aviation safety and that corrective measures will be taken based on the findings.
Bhubaneswar Airport Director Clarifies Rourkela Plane Made Forced Landing, Not Crash
Regarding the incident, Bhubaneswar Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan clarified that it was not a crash landing but a forced landing. He said a possible engine fault may have led to the forced landing, which occurred about 15 minutes before the scheduled arrival.
Further Updates:
All six members (two pilots and four passengers) are currently undergoing treatment at JP Hospital, Rourkela. The District Administration, including the Collector and SP, is closely monitoring the situation and extending necessary support on the ground.
The Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport, is also overseeing developments and coordinating with officials from both the Government of India and the Government of Odisha. In addition, a control room has been set up at the Directorate of Civil Aviation (Landline: 0674-2596128; Mobile: 9861096371) to manage the response.
A DGCA team has already departed from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata and is expected to reach Rourkela this evening. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will arrive tomorrow to begin a detailed investigation. Meanwhile, two officials from the Directorate of Civil Aviation have been dispatched to Rourkela to coordinate with all stakeholders.
