Kollam (Kerala), Aug 31 (IANS) The pilot of President Pratibha Patil's helicopter aborted takeoff at the Ashraman ground here Wednesday after he detected "a technical snag", police said. Patil later left for Thiruvananthapuram by another chopper.


At around 10 a.m., the president boarded her chopper at the Ashraman ground here to attend a fixture in Thiruvanathapuram during her three-day vist to the state, but had to deboard after the pilot detected a technical snag, police said.

Patil remained seated in her car for around half-an-hour before a back-up helicopter arrived to take her to the state capital.

Patil, who arrived here Monday, took part in a Church function at Kottayam and later was the chief guest at the inaugural President's Trophy Boat race.

She is to lay the foundation stone for the Rs.300-crore South Zone regional campus of the Indira Gandhi National Open University on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram.