Security lapse during President’s Sabarimala visit: Helicopter gets stuck on fresh concrete helipad

PATHANAMTHITTA: Lack of proper preparations amid heavy rain led to a security lapse during President Droupadi Murmu’s helicopter trip to Sabarimala. The helicopter got stuck on the freshly laid concrete helipad at Pramadam Indoor Stadium, prompting police and fire personnel to push it away. The incident received wide coverage in national media and sparked active discussions on social media.

Since thick fog made it impossible to land at the pre-decided Nilakkal helipad, the Air Force suggested a change in travel plans. The President was determined to visit Sabarimala, even if by road. Because of this, authorities rushed to prepare a new helipad at the Pramadam Indoor Stadium near Pathanamthitta city after midnight. When the helicopter landed on the newly built concrete surface, the rear wheel sank slightly.

The Air Force had informed at 9 p.m. on Tuesday that landing at Nilakkal was not possible. Construction of three alternative helipads began at midnight and finished by around 6 a.m. The helicopter landed at 8:33 a.m. Its rear right wheel dipped slightly and turned about ninety degrees, preventing it from moving forward. After the President left for Pamba, police and fire force officers pushed the helicopter away. Since there was no technical fault, the President later returned to Thiruvananthapuram in the same aircraft.

Landed two feet behind marked 'H'

• The concrete layer was about two inches thick, and the tyre sank around one centimeter. The helicopter had landed about two feet behind the marked 'H,' which officials said caused the problem.
• Work began around 12:30 a.m. using a mobile mixing unit and finished by 6 a.m. Concrete usually takes about 12 hours to set, but a chemical mixture was used to make it harden faster.
• The concrete work was done by the Public Works Department’s road division as per Air Force instructions to prepare a clean surface without mud or dust.

Ignored warnings
The President’s visit had been announced a month earlier during the Ayyappa Sangamam event at Pamba. At Nilakkal, trees around the helipad were cut and roads were tarred as part of preparations. However, no alternative helipads were arranged in case of bad weather. Rain warnings were ignored. When the Prime Minister came to Pathanamthitta for election campaigning, two nearby helipads had been prepared well in advance.

There were no security issues caused by the helicopter’s wheel sinking, and the Air Force did not raise complaints about the helipad construction.
- DGP Ravada Chandrasekhar