Travelogue Manipur-VIII-Imphal to New Delhi via Jaipur in AI890!!

The ceremonies at Moreh got completed on 04 Jan 14.Early 05 Jan 14, we shaped course for Imphal which is 110 Kms from Moreh. The axis between Moreh and Imphal has been freshly laid and we could catch good speed.

      

The defence id is extremely helpful on this road as there are check posts of Assam Rifles,Police and Forest lined up. The vehicles are stripped open for checks and this is where the defence id saves a considerable amount of time. En-route I saw an AR post named "Fighting Foxtrot" and I stopped to shake hands with a young Major who was positioned there.Sharing some gen on Foxtrot,we moved on.We reached Imphal's Tulihal Airport and boarded AI 890 to New Delhi via Guwahati.

    

The flight was full to its capacity.The AI Captain Jalaj Vats made a timely landing at Guwahati and soon the packed aircraft was airborne for New Delhi. Whilst coming in for landing at New Delhi,Capt Vats pulled up as the visibility fell to a near Zero! He reported that he would make another attempt or else divert to Jaipur/Lucknow. Another 20 min in the air and he reported a diversion to Jaipur. The tired passengers just sat quietly.

     

Coming in at Jaipur,we could not see anything outside the windows!However,the Captain announced landing stations and the flight speed remained a bit high for my comfort. Soon,we hit the soft ground adjacent to the runway as the fuel strapped Boeing made an emergency landing.The plane was at a high speed and its rear tyre bursted with a loud thud.The plane was shaking voilently as its left wing got hit by some object and the Captain used great skills to bring it to a halt. Small children slipped from their seats including our son Agastaya and went inside the forward seats. There was panic all around as the cabin lights went out.

      

The emergency lights were brought on and the temperatures inside the cabin soared. The plane was now stranded in the middle of runway and visibility was dead zero. We were finally evacuated and taken to the terminal. At 1 am,AI checked us inside a hotel and I could see a sign of relief in the eyes of co-passengers.

     

I am writing this travelogue whilst on way to Delhi in an AI arranged Volvo. The grit and courage of Captain Jalaj Vats was exemplary and deserves kudos.The ground staff support was quick and they were accomodating inspite of hiccups by few unruly passengers.

    

Yesterday was an action filled day and many more travelogues will follow.