Mumbai: A private American aircraft Boeing 757 was grounded in Mumbai on February 3 evening after it was found overflying Indian airspace without permission.

Air Traffic Control asked the pilot of the aircraft belonging to Conco Corporation, US, registered under number N610G, to land in Mumbai at 18:11 hours (IST) as it did not have "air defence clearance," Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain said in New Delhi.

Airport officials said the American-registered aircraft was taken to an isolated bay for investigation and questioning of the pilot John Burg and the co- pilot.

In all, there were eleven crew-members.

Hussain said director general of Civil Aviation and other authorities have been asked to make a detailed investigation as the plane was still awaiting defence clearance.

The ATC had been informed of the flight by the military liaison unit.

This is the second intrusion by a foreign aircraft in three days after a US Air Force plane flew 150 nautical miles East of Chennai on January 31.

PTI