Haryana governor safe after plane crash (Third Lead)

Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia and nine others had a miraculous escape Thursday when their plane crashed immediately after taking off from the airport here, an official said.

The plane was barely 15-20 feet in the air when it went down. A fire was noticed in the plane. It was not clear what caused the accident.

The Haryana government's King Air B-200 aircraft had 10 people on board. Airport officials said the aircraft suffered extensive damage.

Pahadia, 82, was pulled out of the plane along with others and rushed to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research. Doctors let him go after medical examination.

The others included the governor's wife, his secretary, two aides, a doctor, two attendants and two pilots, the spokesman said. The pilots were identified as D. Nanda and Dinesh Bansal.

A spokesman for the Haryana civil aviation department said the aircraft was on its way to Delhi. While airborne, it tilted to the left and crashed on its left wings.

The crash delayed three commercial flights, which finally took off after nearly 90 minutes.

The Director General Civil Aviation is conducting an inquiry into the incident.