Two pilots die as plane on training flight crashes in Kanpur
New Delhi: A trainee pilot and flying instructor were killed in a plane crash near Ganga Barrage, approximately 5 nautical miles from Kanpur Civil Airport, on Thursday, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The Tecnam P2006T twin-engine aircraft, bearing registration VT-NBV and operated by M/s Garg Aviation Ltd., Kanpur, was on a training flight in the local flying area of Kanpur Civil Airport. There were two persons on board, a trainee pilot and an instructor. Both sustained fatal injuries in the accident, the statement said.
The two deceased have been identified as Sachin Bhatia from Gujarat and Abhishek Pujari from Karnataka.
The plane took off at 11:30 am from the Garg Aviation training centre in Kanpur, and the incident took place around 11:50 am when they were flying back to the training centre.
A team of three officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is proceeding to the site for necessary regulatory oversight and coordination.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been informed and will undertake a detailed investigation into the accident in accordance with the applicable rules. The circumstances and cause of the accident will be determined through the investigation, the statement added.
“We have got information about the instructor. He had an experience of around 3,000 hours. The DGCA has been informed. Their team will conduct a thorough investigation. The police have protected the entire area,” Police Commissioner, Kanpur Nagar, Raghubir Lal, said.
Emergency services and authorities immediately rushed to the spot.
Visuals from the incident site showed a completely wrecked plane in a grassy, wooded area. The exact cause of the crash is not yet known. Officials said it occurred after the plane lost control.
The training aircraft was brought to the centre in 2023, officials added.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to the families of the pilots killed in the accident. He also prayed for the peace of the departed souls and for the strength of the families to bear the immense loss.
The incident comes amid a series of accidents involving training aircraft in recent months. In June, a woman pilot escaped with minor injuries after a two-seater trainee aircraft crashed into a field in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj district.
Earlier, in May, a training aircraft belonging to the Redbird Flight Training Academy made a hard landing near Gojubavi village in Maharashtra’s Baramati.