Morarji Desai's Miraculous Escape: Plane Crash, Lip Injury, 49 Years Ago

• In November 1977, Prime Minister Morarji Desai's VVIP aircraft, Pushpak (Tu-124), crash-landed near Jorhat, Assam, due to bad weather and low fuel.
• Wing Commander Clarence D'Lima made a heroic decision for a 'belly landing' in a wet paddy field, aiming to protect the Prime Minister.
• The cockpit bore the brunt of the impact, leading to the on-the-spot deaths of 5 crew members, including Wing Commander D'Lima, who sacrificed their lives.
• Morarji Desai, then 81, miraculously survived the severe crash with only a minor lip injury, an event considered a 'miracle escape' in Indian history.
• The incident is recalled in contrast to modern aviation accidents, highlighting the pilots' sacrifice and Desai's extraordinary survival.

Why It Matters: Morarji Desai miraculously survived a 1977 plane crash with only a lip injury due to pilots' heroic sacrifice.