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Continental B 720 "a threat to air safety at NAG"

 
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:05 pm    Post subject: Continental B 720 "a threat to air safety at NAG" Reply with quote

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Grounded-plane-a-threat-to-air-safety-at-city-airport/articleshow/10182301.cms


Grounded plane a threat to air safety at city airport

Sep 30, 2011

NAGPUR: The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) have several times raised objection to presence of a grounded aircraft within kissing distance of main runway of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport.

The plane is seen as a threat to the flights taking off and landing here. Still, the airport operator Mihan India Ltd (MIL) is refusing to do anything about it. Strangely, it expressed its inability to do anything. "The aircraft has been abandoned at the airport and a case is pending in the Bombay high court," a senior MIL official told TOI.

The aircraft of Continental Aviation Private Limited (CAPL) and owned by US-based NRI Sam Verma made an emergency landing at the city airport after developing an engine snag on July 21, 1991. It has remained here since then as its owner never paid up the parking charges. Earlier, Airports Authority of India (AAI) had planned to convert it into a unique restaurant after moving it to a site near Wardha Road. Nagpur Municipal Corporation also planned to acquire it and use it for education purpose at its Aero Park project near Swawlambi Nagar. However, both plans never materialised. TOI has reported on the aircraft posing a threat to air traffic at Nagpur airport several times.

Aviation experts said there should not be any object within 150 metres of the runway. This aircraft has been lying just 90 metres from runway. They said, "The legal tangle between the airport authorities, airline management and creditors of the CAPL-Tourism Corporation of India and Canara Bank may have stopped authorities from disposing of the aircraft but not from shifting it to safer place. Given the threat to safety, court can permit airport authorities to shift the plane. MIL only needs to submit an affidavit asking permission to shift the aircraft away from runway." Experts also wondered how MIL managed to get provisional licence from DGCA the parked aircraft so close to runway and the runway itself not in very good condition.

MIL chief operating officer Abadesh Prasad said, "We also want it shifted and would soon request the court to allow us to do so."




The aircraft in question (VT-ERS)


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HAWK21M
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 11:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Donate it to a flying school.....Train the youngsters.....
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malQ
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This aircraft, which at one time also belonged to a US charter airline called the ATLANTA SKYLARKS, is on its way to acquiring high vintage value, as there are very few intact short-range Boeing 727-720 left in the world.

Here's myu photo:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vm2827/762984474/

""This aircraft, a Boeing 720-025, construction no: 18159/235,
powered by 4 Rolls-Royce Conway by-pass turbojets, was delivered new on 27-Sep-1961 to Eastern Airlines, USA, registered as N8705E. Eastern traded it in to Boeing Corp. in Jan-1970.

Boeing refurbished and sold it on 17-Jul-1970 to Conair of Scandinavia registered as OY-DSL. It was resold into the USA on 01-Aug-1981, as N7229L to Atlanta Skylarks.
The next owner in June 1986 was Eagle International Ministries.
For a while the aircraft sat derelict at Brown Field Municipal Airport, San Diego, near the USA-Mexico border. Mr. Rameshwar Verma, who planned to start Continental Aviation Pvt. Ltd., bought the old bird, restored it to airworthiness and ferried it via Helsinki to India.

Finally, it was registered on 27-Mar-1991 as VT-ERS. About 16 years ago, Continental Aviation abandoned it at Nagpur.""
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shivendrashukla
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 4:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can't AI do something about it?? AI has had past experience with 707's and I guess some AME from that time may still be serving.
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Moving it wont be an issue......Getting it to be Airworthy will be.....But then the issue is in court so the delay.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 7:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://m.timesofindia.com/city/nagpur/Abandoned-plane-gets-a-new-resting-place/articleshow/49159971.cms

Abandoned plane gets a new resting place

Sep 30, 2015

An abandoned aircraft posing threat to planes landing at Nagpur airport since last 22 years was finally removed on Tuesday. The private jet — a Boeing 720 — was left at the airport in 1991 and was lying there since. The plane belongs to Continental Aviation Private Limited (CAPL), run by former NRI Sam Verma, now based in Betul which is over 100km away from Nagpur. The company has now ceased operations.

The operator's licence of Mihan India Limited (MIL), was at stake had it not removed the plane to a safer distance. After repeated directions since 2009, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), issued an ultimatum to MIL in July, giving it two months' time. Non-removal of the aircraft would have been treated as non-compliance of safety norms, leading to cancellation of licence.

In 1993, the plane was shifted outside the apron and placed just 90 metres away from the runway. Norms call for keeping any object at least 150 meters away from the runway's sides. There chances that at times, an aircraft may deviate during landing. If there is any object on the sides, it poses a grave threat. Therefore, every time a plane landed at Nagpur, the Boeing 720 was standing within the risk zone. Even though the plane was 90 meters away, there was no strict monitoring till 2007, when DGCA introduced the system of periodical renewal of operators' licences. The licence has to be renewed after an inspection in every two years, said a source.

There are different versions on how the plane landed up there. MIL says it was never taken back after an emergency landing. Verma contends that the plane was grounded at Nagpur after CAPL ceased operations. The company was keen to take it away but the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which ran the airport before MIL, did not cooperate.

"The process of DGCA issuing directions to move the plane began in 2009. Each time MIL got a breather, by availing a temporary exemption from meeting the condition. In July, DGCA issued an ultimatum and we had no choice. It took around an hour to take the plane 600 meters away. The operation was successful," said senior airport director Ababhesh Prasad.
Earlier AAI and now MIL are claiming pending rent from Verma's company. The total amount comes to Rs7 crore. Apart from it, CAPL's lender Canara Bank has initiated legal action. Till the litigation continues, the plane cannot be sold.

Verma told TOI, "A month after the aircraft was grounded at Nagpur, we had sought permission to remove it to leased private land nearby. However, AAI, which controlled the airport at that time, did not allow us the access, and started calculating the rent due. It is like forcing a tenant to stay in your house and demand the rent arrears."

Verma claims to have all the documents related to the correspondence. The airport was taken over by MIL from AAI in 2009. Officials at MIL said no such papers were available.

PLANE AND NOT SO SIMPLE TIMELINE
* In January 1991, the aircraft lands up at Nagpur Airport and stays there after that
* It was placed at 90 meters away from the runway where posed a grave threat to landing aircraft
* DGCA began issuing directions to move the aircraft in 2009
* However, AAI and MIL continued to buy time
* In July this year, DGCA set a 2-month deadline to remove the aircraft
* Aircraft removed with help of Air India Engineering Services with runs a MRO in Mihan-SEZ nearby
* A month ago, Air India Engineering services set to work
* The company CEO H R Jagannathan was requested to help
* The plane's wheels were changed to so that it could be towed
* The aircraft is now placed 600 meters away, at a safe distance
CONFLICTING VERSIONS
* Airports Authority of India (AAI), and now the new operator Mihan India Limited (MIL) say that the plane wound up at Nagpur due to an emergency landing
* CAPL did not bother to take it back after that, say airport sources
* Verma says it was just grounded to be removed later but AAI did not cooperate
* The aeroplane's parking charges have touched Rs7 crore
LEGAL TANGLES
* CAPL's lenders have also initiated legal action
* The plane cannot be sold till the case is settled
* For the same reason, plans to turn the plane into a restaurant could not materialize
* CAPL's another 44-seater aircraft is grounded under similar conditions at Bhopal

Who is Sam Verma
A former NRI, based at Betul in MP, Sam Verma is known for his crash landings. Apart from leaving two aircraft at Nagpur and Bhopal each, on December 31 last year, he landed his 4-seater aircraft on the Nagpur-Betul highway, violating safety norms. He is learnt to have a tyre factory at Betul. However, Verma now calls himself a retired man. He has set up a huge temple complex Balajipuram spread in an area of 10.5 acres. It is a replica of the Tirupati Balaji temple.
"We own 4-5 private jets operating both in the US and India," Verma told TOI. On Continental Aviation, he said the business had to be closed as the investors wanted to pull out. It was announced that no more flights will be taken before grounding the planes at Bhopal and Nagpur. On landing at highway, he says it was because of strong winds and government had construction poles on the runway's side hampering the access. The runway is next to the highway.


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 10:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is very interesting, and welcome news! The 44-seater at BHO: I wonder if it is the Fokker F-27 parked in a weird condition near the old terminal building. Edit: oh wait, I missed seeing it there on a few past trips, leading to the speculation that it may have been moved. Indeed confirmed, from a look at Google Maps. It is now close to the private aviation hangar, in a small field.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It was used on the BOM-DEL-BOM sector for about a month before being grounded because of frequent snags. It was not a wise decision to bring in age old Boeing 720 in 1991. I do recall seeing it at the domestic apron along with the Air Asiatic B737-200.

It did not make any emergency landing at NAG. It was moved to Nagpur because the fees at BOM was considerably higher.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 2:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Himmat - could you confirm with your dad that Capt. CL Gupta flew this 720 after retirement from the 742 with AI.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't need to confirm. I am 100% sure.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 3:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

himmat01 wrote:
Don't need to confirm. I am 100% sure.


That's always good.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 4:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why dont they scrap the Aircraft or donate it to some training school/museum.
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/wtf/story-behind-an-abandoned-boeing-720-parked-at-nagpur-airport-551537.html

Here's Why An Abandoned Boeing 720 Plane Has Been Parked At Nagpur Airport For 24 Years

Oct 13, 2021

For 24 years, the Nagpur airport had an unwelcomed guest in the form of an aeroplane, a Boeing 720, that landed because of an emergency resulting from its engine in 1991 but never flew out.

But the story behind this is actually pretty interesting and a Twitter user named Chris Coy has shared it in detail. He blamed his father for getting the plane to Nagpur airport and abandoning it there. His father who was an aeroplane mechanic at Brown Field Municipal airport apparently took it in his hands to fly the plane from the US to India.

An Indian tire magnate named Sam Veder asked him to fix the flight and take it to India. Even though others told Coy's father that he was wasting his time trying to fix the plane, he still did it.

They just needed to fly across the border to Tijuana to complete the test flights and Coy's mother filed the paperwork with the FAA. After completing the test flight Sam Veder and Coy's father flew to India.

However, even though the plane reached India it had a few problems and they had to do an emergency landing at Nagpur airport.

Sam wanted to move the plane immediately, but the airport wouldn't give him access to the plane.

In the most incredible "the problem I was avoiding for [eternity] only took [moment]" ever, in 2015 the new airport director decided to solve it, changed the tires, and got rid of the plane in half an hour.

But here's the best part. Coy's father lied to his wife saying that the plane was still flying in India carrying "people and chickens".




@ChrisCroy :
I just found out that

1. For 24 years every pilot who landed at the airport in Nagpur, India had to be warned about the Boeing 720 sitting next to the runway.

2. That it was my dad's fault.

This is the story of my dad's junkyard jet.

Some time in 1990 my dad, an airplane mechanic at Brown Field Municipal airport, saw a guy circling the abandoned Boeing 720. It had been resting in the dry desert air ever since the previous owner, Kenneth Copeland, had ditched it a couple years back for reasons unknown.

The guy, an Indian tire magnate named Sam Veder, asked my dad if it could fly again. My dad said yes, he could get it flying. The 29-year-old plane wasn't commercially viable in the US, but India's another story. All they had to do was get it there.

A normal dad might have an old muscle car he tinkers with on the weekend, but -my- dad had a Being 720. For the next year, when he wasn't working on the plane he was pestering Boeing engineers for advice and picking through aircraft boneyards for parts.

From the beginning the other mechanics in the hangar said he was wasting his time. Even if my dad could get it to fly (which he wouldn't) it could never legally fly again due to noise regulations.

Modern jets are required to be much quieter and more efficient than they used to be. Plane's today are about 1/4th as loud as they were in the 1950s! It's possible to retrofit a dinosaur from the 1950s like the Boeing 720 to be compliant, but India's rules were, uh, Different so.

While my dad was fixing up the plane my mom was filing paperwork with the FAA. They just needed to fly across the border to Tijuana to complete the test flights. The FAA agreed - on the condition that the plane climb north to 14,000 feet before turning south to Tijuana.

After they completed the test flights in Tijuana, my dad's junkyard jet embarked for India with my dad and Sam Veder on board. If Sam was going to die, then mick mechanic who "fixed" it was going to die with him.

He was right to worry: Granted, the plane DID make it to India, but they encountered engine problems on the maiden flight from Delhi and had to do an emergency landing at Nagpur airport, where it would live for the following 24 years.

They initially left it on the runway itself, but it was quickly towed 300 feet away, but still that's way too close for regulations or comfort and it should have been moved much farther immediately, but it wasn't and so it's a story.

According to the airport Sam Veder was a broke bitch, owed them rent, and needed to move the plane. Sam said he had a plan to at least move the plane immediately, but the airport wouldn't give him access to the plane, so they're like a landlord that locked a tenant inside.

Regardless of why, it was. Time passed. Sam retired, built Balaji Puram temple to honor Lord Balaji, and the plane remained. In 2011 the government told the airport to move the damn plane or they would strip the airport's license, so they dragged it a little farther away.

In the most incredible "the problem I was avoiding for [eternity] only took [moment]" ever, in 2015 the new airport director decided to solve it, changed the tires, and got rid of the plane in half an hour.

there's no moral here. hail lord balaji.

also, my dad lied and told my mom that the plane was still flying around India carrying "people and chickens".

He did not enjoy his trip to India because the food was too spicy, complaining that those lunatics in India will eat onions with hot peppers for breakfast.

there's a lot of confusion here, so to clarify, the only person who thinks Indians are crazy for eating onions and hot peppers is my dad, I think it's delicious and ate it just last week.

managed to get Sam Verma on the line! Verma says some key details of my story (and previous news stories!) were wrong, although since my dad definitely went to India I'm choosing to believe that Verma just didn't remember him.

My mom's only feedback is that while the FAA gave them permission to fly to Tijuana the FAA didn't think they would actually do it; they told her the only way that plane was ever leaving Brown Field was in "small pieces on large trucks".

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://qz.com/india/2073680/a-discarded-boeing-720-was-flown-from-us-to-india-and-abandoned/

In his late 60s now, Croy senior probably lives in “somewhere southern California…the Los Angeles metro area,” according to his son.

Like all legends, though, his, too, is wobbly in its origin.

“I am Sam”
Croy was almost immediately corrected by Twitter users about the name of the Indian-American who supposedly flew on the aircraft from the US to India. It wasn’t Sam Veder, but Sam Verma.

Quartz reached out to Verma, now 81 years old, retired, and living in the small Indian town of Betul, Madhya Pradesh, around 175 kilometres northwest of Nagpur.

He confirmed only parts of Croy’s story, including bits about the temple.

A US citizen, Verma did fly on the Boeing 720 to India, but the plane was piloted by one Captain Mehta, a former Air India pilot. Verma couldn’t recall the pilot’s first name. The other crew members were a flight engineer and a co-pilot, all former employees of India’s national carrier.

“There was no American in the crew. We took off from the San Diego airport in California. The plane was purchased from a Trust by Electra Tech Corporation and leased to Continental Aviation,” Verma, who used to work for Electra Tech Corporation back then, told Quartz.

Continental Aviation was a private carrier, reportedly one of India’s first, and founded by a group belonging to the category widely referred to in the country as non-resident Indians or NRIs. These are persons of Indian origin living abroad.

While several media reports referred to Verma as “owner” or “promoter” of Continental Aviation, the mechanical engineer from Chicago’s Illinois Institute of Technology said he was only responsible for maintenance of aircraft and their flight operations.

Three other planes, according to him, were purchased by the company and these flew between several cities in India, including Mumbai, New Delhi, and Thiruvananthapuram, in the early 1990s.

The aircraft were then grounded only because unprofessional behaviour on the part of the technicians and pilots—all from the Air India stable—hired by Continental rendered the airline financially unviable.

“The attitude of retired engineers from Air India was untenable for the airline. No proper maintenance was done. Some of them would report late to duty citing reasons like the non-availability of paan,” Verma said.

“Madhavrao Scindia was the aviation minister then. But what could he do with this culture? The company got into financial trouble. Finally, I got tired and gave up.”

Continental Aviation, according to Verma, abandoned one plane each in the cities of Bhopal, Mumbai, and Nagpur. Verma himself bought one small plane from the company for around $100,000 and flew it as a hobby till old age grounded him.

In September 2015, after decades of lying forlornly at the Nagpur Airport, the Boeing 720 was removed from there “in only 30 minutes” to the adjacent Nagpur Flying Club, according to a report by News18.

“Completely possible I’m wrong and I would assume that Mr. Verma is right, everything I tweeted is either from news reports, public records, or my mom,” Croy, who is learning to code nowadays, said in response to queries posed by Quartz.

Dads aren’t always right. But then the heroics they conjure up are always so narratable.

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PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 3:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A lot of clueless business men jumped on the bandwagon when India first allowed private players to start airlines in the late 1980s.

There were nutjobs who would go to the boneyards in Arizona and pick up junked airframes at throwaway prices. Continental, Air Asiatic, Goa Ways, even EastWest, all started their operations with boneyard residents nearing the end of their service life.

The DGCA was so worried that they introduced a 'no older than ten years ' clause for pax aircraft brought into India from abroad. It exists to this day.

And the less said about the so-called engineers who maintained these planes, the better. They were, like the aircraft, way beyond their active service life. The first batch of five engineers sent for training on the 737-300 by Jet Airways were an interesting bunch. The youngest of them was a youthful 61 year old! My dad knew some of these chaps as they were all ex-IC.

All of them failed the training course, as expected. They must have spent their time sleeping and drooling during the lectures.
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