A decommissioned Airbus A320-200 being towed on the road from Kochi to Hyderabad got stuck under a road underbridge after taking a diversion, giving anxious moments to the new owners of the plane. However, the driver managed to pull out the aeroplane from the underpass on the Chennai-Vijayawada highway near Korisapadu in Andhra Pradesh.
“The plane has been pulled out from the underpass and will reach Hyderabad in a day or two,” said Mohammed Majid, owner of Pista House, who bought the plane to convert it into a restaurant in Shamirpet in the city. “This is a small glitch. The plane is being brought at a speed of 10 kilometres per hour. It will be towed to Shameerpet where we plan to use it for aeroplane-themed restaurant,” said Mr. Majeed who runs a string of restaurants in the city.
“The service road of the highway is closed due to ongoing work. The driver of the vehicle took the flyover and tried to manoeuvre it from the underpass but got stuck as the middle portion was two inches higher than the rest of the body. After adjusting the hydraulic pressure, the driver pulled through,” narrated Hari, an eye-witness from Medarmetla.
The plane was decommissioned on June 4, 2018 after 25 years of service with Indian Airlines and Air India after it got involved in an air incident near Mangalore.
