2 Pilots dead in training aircraft crash in India

A twin-engine four-seater training plane crashed in a field near the banks of the Ganges River in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur on Thursday, killing both the pilot and the co-pilot.

According to the police, one of the pilots was a trainee, and the other was an instructor.

The two, identified as Sachin Bhatia from Gujarat and Abhishek Pujari from Karnataka, took off at 11:30 am from the Garg Aviation training centre in Kanpur. The incident took place around 11:50 am when they were flying back to the training centre.

"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," Raghubir Lal, Police Commissioner, Kanpur Nagar, 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 metal parts of the flight can be seen twisted, with the wing and other white panels broken into pieces.

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.

What the DGCA said

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in a statement, said that their team is proceeding to the site for "regulatory oversight and coordination".

"The aircraft 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 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," it said.

Source: NDTV