Two Pilots Killed in Kanpur Plane Crash

Two Pilots Killed in Kanpur Plane Crash

KANPUR, AUGUST 27 [VoM News]: A twin-engine, four-seater training aircraft crashed in a field near the Ganges River in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur on Thursday, killing both people on board, police and aviation authorities said.

The victims were identified as Sachin Bhatia of Gujarat and Abhishek Pujari of Karnataka. Police said Bhatia was a trainee pilot while Pujari was an instructor.

The aircraft took off from the Garg Aviation training centre in Kanpur at around 11:30 a.m.

And crashed about 20 minutes later while returning to the facility. Kanpur Nagar Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal said the instructor had around 3,000 hours of flying experience.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was informed and its team was sent to the site.

The DGCA said the aircraft was operating a training flight within the local flying area of Kanpur Civil Airport when the accident occurred.

It confirmed that both occupants suffered fatal injuries.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been informed and will conduct a detailed investigation to determine the circumstances and cause of the crash.

Emergency teams and police reached the site shortly after the accident and secured the area.

Visuals showed the aircraft completely wrecked, with its metal structure and wings severely damaged.

The aircraft had reportedly been brought to the training centre in 2023.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to the families of the deceased pilots.