After landing, the wheels of the Indian Air Force helicopter sank into a freshly poured concrete landing pad; the problem was quickly resolved and no injuries were reported.
A notable incident took place this week during the Indian President’s official visit Draupadi Murmu to the state Kerala. The helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF)which was carrying the head of state, became temporarily stuck after landing on a newly constructed platform at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in het district Pathanamthitta.
According to some reports it was a Mil Mi-17 or a similar model used by the Indian Air Force.
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According to local media such as NDTV in Times of India part of the newly poured concrete collapsed under the weight of the helicopter, causing the wheels to partly sink into the still soft surface. Police and firefighters on the scene responded quickly and managed to manually push the helicopter free, without damage or injury.
The change of landing location is said to have been decided at the last minute due to… bad weather in the Nilackal region, which necessitated emergency preparation of a new helicopter site. However, the concrete had not had enough time to fully harden before the presidential landing.
Despite the incident, President Murmu never in danger and continued her program as planned, including a visit to the Sabarimala-paste. The local government has announced that it is reviewing security and infrastructure procedures used for official travel.
Video of the incident, which shows the helicopter wheels sinking as workers rush to help, spread quickly on social media in India and sparked debate about poor planning and improvisation in high-level operations.
The wheels of the helicopter which carried President Droupadi Murmu for her Sabarimala visit got stuck in a depression in the newly concreted helipad at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium at Pramadam here when it landed on Wednesday morning.
After the President left for Pamba by… pic.twitter.com/fDIvVeac3k
— The Siasat Daily (@TheSiasatDaily) 22 October 2025
Sources: NDTV, Times of India | Twitter @TheSiasatDaily. This content was created with the help of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editors.
