Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s Chopper Makes Wrong Landing: WATCH

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Minister Bhujbal’s helicopter landed in parking lot.
• Pilot mistook car park for designated helipad.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s flight mistakenly landed in a parking area instead of the designated helipad in Pune district on Saturday, sparking panic among security personnel and onlookers.

Minister Bhujbal was traveling from Nashik to Khanvadi in Purandar tehsil to attend the event commemorating the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, and several other ministers were also scheduled to attend the event. Bhujbal’s office said that the Minister is fine and there is no need to panic.

Pune, Maharashtra: In Khanwadi village of Purandar taluka, during the inauguration of a Zilla Parishad school, Minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s helicopter landed directly in the car parking area instead of the designated helipad pic.twitter.com/d5QGHPKOml

— IANS (@ians_india) April 11, 2026

While a specific helipad had been prepared for the arrival of VVIPs, the pilot reportedly mistook an open space in the car parking lot for the landing site. At the time of the incident, the parking area was relatively empty, which likely led to the pilot’s confusion. However, the manoeuvre was extremely risky as the helicopter’s spinning rotors posed a severe threat to any nearby structures or vehicles.

Fortunately, despite the serious navigational error, the helicopter landed safely. Minister Bhujbal and all other passengers on board are reported to be unharmed. Once the minister disembarked, the helicopter was subsequently moved to the actual designated helipad.

While speaking with ANI, Maharashtra Minister Bhujbal said that the helicopter landed in the wrong place because the helipad was invisible.

“There has been no accident; we have all emerged safely. There is no need to worry; the helicopter landed in the car parking area simply because the helipad was not visible,” he said. 

This incident has raised eyebrows among supporters and the public, especially following a recent aviation scare involving NCP leader Ajit Pawar on January 28. Former NCP president and DCM Ajit Pawar died after his plane crashed in Baramati.