IAF jets guide lost Cessna flown by trainee to safety

The first plane kept in constant radio contact with the lost aircraft, but it was the second jet that first established visual contact with the plane. When the plane was found, it was flying 100 km past Warangal. By then, the plane had only 20 minutes of flight time remaining, and Hyderabad was an hour away.

As the third Kiran reached the Cessna, the first two turned back as they were running low on fuel. 8220;At the time, the civil aircraft had an endurance of only 10 minutes,8221; said Akhtar. 8220;We directed the plane towards Warangal airport.8221; Meanwhile, the Air Force contacted the local police, who rushed to the airport.

Fortunately, Madhurima was able to land on the abandoned airstrip. 8220;Had there been a delay of even five minutes, the plane would have crashed into Warangal town,8221; said Akhtar. 8220;The knights in blue lived up to expectations,8221; he added.