AI crew spot mysterious parachutes mid-air near Mumbai

A Chennai-bound Air India flight crew spotted four mysterious colourful parachutes soon after take-off on Friday morning.

Published on: Jan 29, 2016, 17:48:09 IST

Hindustan Times | By Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai

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A Chennai-bound Air India flight crew spotted four mysterious colourful parachutes soon after take-off on Friday morning.

This was a third such sighting in a fortnight.

According to the message received by the Mumbai air traffic control (ATC) tower, the Airbus 319 was flying at 6,000 feet about five nautical miles from Vasai when the cockpit crew spotted the parachutes.

“They were yellow, red, green and blue,” said a senior ATC official, requesting anonymity.

About two weeks ago, the Mumbai police went on high alert after a Pawan Hans pilot spotted paragliders close to the Juhu aerodrome.

A few days later, an AI flier bound to Mumbai reported a similar sighting. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe in the matter. “The ATC has informed us about the message from the AI crew. We will begin our preliminary investigation,” said a senior official.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Soubhik Mitra
Soubhik Mitra is an assistant editor with the Hindustan Times. The Mumbai boy has spent over a decade reporting on civic, environmental and political issues. His current stint is the longest where he writes on aviation and travel.Read More

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