Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde experienced a mid-air scare on Thursday (May 7, 2026) afternoon when his helicopter was forced to return to Mumbai due to bad weather. Mr. Shinde and other passengers were unhurt in the incident.

An official statement said the incident happened when Mr. Shinde was flying from Mumbai to Murbad to attend a wedding ceremony in the family of a party colleague. The helicopter had taken off from the Mahalaxmi Racecourse helipad at approximately 3:30 p.m. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot spotted a storm system near the airspace over Airoli. Recognising the imminent danger, the pilot immediately alerted Mr. Shinde about the severe weather conditions ahead, the statement said.

He further advised the Deputy Chief Minister that proceeding to Murbad was too risky and that the safest course of action was to abort the journey. “Taking swift evasive action, the pilot turned the aircraft around and successfully touched down at Juhu’s Pawan Hans facility within the next few minutes,” the statement added.

The twin-engine Sikorsky S-76C helicopter in which Mr. Shinde was travelling has been a popular choice for VIP transport, emergency medical services, and oil and gas offshore support, sources said, adding that it is known for its reliability and advanced avionics.

Mr. Shinde was accompanied by his personal assistant Prabhakar Kale, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Balsingh Rajput, Public Relations Officer Vinayak Patrudkar, a security guard, and an airline representative.