In a heart-wrenching discovery, the bodies of 19-year-old trainee pilot Subhrojeet Dutta and pilot-cum-instructor Jeet Satru Anand were recovered from Chandil Dam on Thursday morning, confirming the worst fears that the two-seater training aircraft that went missing on Tuesday has indeed plunged into the dam's depths. While Subhrojeet’s body was fished out in the morning, the body of the trainer was recovered in the afternoon after hours of struggle by a joint team of Indian Navy and NDRF.
The body, floating lifelessly in the dam, was first spotted by local villagers who quickly spread the word, prompting an immediate response from the police and administrative officers stationed nearby. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which had been scouring the area since Wednesday, was tasked with recovering the body.
As the tragedy deepens, a specialized Indian Navy team from Hyderabad has joined the search for the sunken Cessna 152 aircraft, which was being used for flight training by Alchemist Aviation. This 16-member Navy team has brought advanced equipment and expertise to the operation, boosting hopes that the missing plane will soon be found.
Despite these efforts, the search has been marred by frustration and controversy. Alchemist Aviation's director, Ravi Pathak, has openly criticized the initial search efforts, accusing the authorities of wasting precious time by focusing on areas other than the Chandil Dam, despite clear signals indicating the plane’s last known location. "I had been saying since day one that the plane might have fallen into the Chandil Dam as the last signal from the aircraft to air traffic control came from that location only," Pathak lamented. His sharp critique only deepens the anguish surrounding this incident, as it becomes clear that vital hours may have been lost.
Adding to the tragic irony, it has emerged that a local villager had reportedly witnessed the aircraft plummeting into the dam. However, his testimony was disregarded by those leading the search, raising serious questions about the coordination and responsiveness of the rescue operation. The slow response and apparent misdirection of search efforts have only compounded the grief of Subhrojeet Dutta family and friends, who are now left mourning the loss of a young life full of promise.
Subhrojeet Dutta, a resident of Adityapur Gwala Bustee in Adityapur, was on the cusp of realizing his dream of becoming a pilot. His tragic death has sent shockwaves through his community, leaving many to question the safety protocols and the effectiveness of search operations in such emergencies.
As the Navy, NDRF, and local authorities continue their efforts, the community clings to the hope that the missing aircraft will soon be found, bringing some measure of closure to this harrowing ordeal. But as the hours tick by, the questions only grow louder—could more have been done, and sooner, to prevent this tragedy.
