Chartered flight carrying Rahul to Karnataka develops technical snag , Cong says possibility of tampering cannot be ruled out

New Delhi, Apr 26: Congress president Rahul Gandhi and four other passengers travelling on a chartered flight from Delhi to Karnataka got a major scare on Thursday after the aircraft reportedly developed "multiple faults" and pilots managed to land it at Karnataka's Hubli after two aborted attempts, congress sources said.

The Congress has filed a complaint with the DGCA and the Karnataka DGP to seek a probe to determine if there was any "intentional tampering" of the aircraft.
The sources said the complaint was filed by Kaushal Vidyarthee, a key member of Rahul Gandhi's team who was accompanying the Congress president.
The sources said that Mr Gandhi's plane, which brought him to Karnataka where he is leading the Congress' campaign against the BJP for next month's assembly elections, had taken off from Delhi at around 9.20 am.
At around 10.45 am, the aircraft suddenly tilted to one side. It lost altitude and there was violent shuddering of the aircraft body though the weather outside was clear.
According to sources, the complaint said the entire experience had left the passengers "with a lot of anxiety and distress" and positively fearing for their lives".
.Later in a tweet, Mr Vidyarthee called it the most "frightening experience in my life", referred to the plane going into what he called was a "free fall"
''Glad to be in a room and getting some rest....thankful for being alive...never had such a frightening experience in my life...plane went into free fall...couldnt believe CP's composure and calmness as he stood beside pilots trying to save the situation.,''he retweeted.
He, and another co passengers however, admired Mr Gandhi's composure and calmness "as he stood beside pilots trying to save the situation".
"Never thought we would make it through what happened in the aircraft today...cant believe how brave RG is...being a pilot himself he was constantly by the side of the crew through the crisis. Respect! ,'' said Rahul S Ravi, a co passenger in the plane. 
According to AICC media incharge Randeep surjewala, ''A formal complaint has been submitted... to inquire into entire matter including possibility of foul play which led to technical slag, failure of autopilot and failure of rudders, which is completely unprecedented." UNI