An aircraft pressurisation emergency forced a medical evacuation flight to divert to Bangladesh. The patient subsequently died, while Indian aviation authorities began investigating the technical incident.
An Indian air ambulance carrying a critically ill patient made an emergency landing in Bangladesh on 18 October after developing a cabin pressurisation problem during a domestic medical evacuation flight.
The Beechcraft King Air C90A, registered VT-HYA and operated by SKB Infracon Pvt Ltd, was flying from Agartala to Kolkata when the emergency occurred.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), the aircraft developed a pressurisation fault while climbing through approximately 12,000 feet. Its main door was damaged and partially opened, prompting the pilots to declare an emergency and divert to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
The aircraft landed safely at approximately 1:40 pm Bangladesh time.
Patient Transferred to Hospital
Seven people were aboard, including two pilots, a doctor, a paramedic, the patient and two accompanying passengers.
The patient, identified as 56-year-old Anjana Bhowmik, was an Airports Authority of India employee being transferred to Kolkata for further medical treatment.
According to the Hindustan Times, she had been unwell for several months and was receiving ventilator support.
Following the emergency landing, Bhowmik was taken to Kurmitola Multicare Specialised Hospital in Dhaka, where doctors declared her dead.
The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear. No publicly established medical finding links her death to the aircraft’s pressurisation problem or the emergency diversion.
The other six occupants were reported unharmed.
Bangladesh Coordinates Emergency Response
CAAB said firefighting and rescue vehicles, ambulances and medical personnel were placed on standby before the aircraft arrived.
The diversion also required coordination between Bangladeshi authorities and the Indian High Commission because the aircraft had originally been operating a domestic flight within India.
The occupants did not have the necessary immigration clearance for an international arrival.
Bangladeshi authorities nevertheless provided assistance on humanitarian grounds while officials worked to resolve the required formalities.
The response demonstrated the importance of cooperation between aviation authorities, airport emergency services and diplomatic representatives during unexpected international medical diversions.
Indian Regulator Begins Investigation
Aviation International News reported on 21 October that India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had begun investigating the cause of the depressurisation.
The aircraft’s crew were awaiting airworthiness clearance from the regulator before returning the aircraft to India.
The technical circumstances surrounding the pressurisation failure and door damage had not been conclusively established in the reporting reviewed.
No finding of maintenance negligence, operational error or medical mismanagement has been verified.
Wider Implications for Aeromedical Operations
The incident highlights the operational complexity of transporting critically ill patients by air, particularly when a technical emergency requires an unscheduled international landing.
Medical evacuation planning must consider suitable diversion airports, available ground ambulances, receiving hospitals and the continuity of essential medical support.
Cabin pressurisation problems may create additional clinical risks for vulnerable patients. However, the actual consequences depend on the circumstances of the flight and the patient’s condition.
In this case, publicly available information does not establish whether the patient experienced a deterioration during the emergency or whether any medical treatment was interrupted.
The Dhaka diversion provides an important case for examining cross-border emergency coordination and aeromedical contingency planning without drawing premature conclusions about responsibility or the patient’s death.
Further findings from the Indian aviation investigation may clarify the technical circumstances of the incident.
MyAviation Magazine | Aeromedical Aviation & Safety
