DGCA flagged Tecnam aircraft safety issues month before Kanpur crash
Aviation regulator DGCA had flagged safety issues concerning Tecnam aircraft over a month before a Tecnam P2006T training aircraft crashed in Kanpur on August 27, killing a trainee pilot and an instructor.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had also issued safety recommendations to flying training organisations (FTOs) concerning the Tecnam aircraft and asked them to implement them with immediate effect.
According to official communications accessed and reviewed by PTI, the DGCA had at least twice since 2025 flagged concerns over Tecnam planes, primarily used in India for flying training, with FTOs.
The latest communication, dated July 10, 2026, circulated safety recommendations issued by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) following the May 12, 2022 crash of a twin-engine Tecnam P2006T, operated by FSTC Flying School Pvt Ltd, at Bhiwani in Haryana.
In the email, the regulator advised FTOs to "avoid parking Tecnam aircraft on apron/tarmac for prolonged periods during the summer season prior to commencing training flights".
It also said, "Greater emphasis should be placed on training for handling emergency situations, particularly during critical phases of flight on Tecnam aircraft."
The DGCA further directed that "checklists should be revised to explicitly incorporate all Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM)-recommended actions for handling emergency situations".
The communication was based on the final investigation report of the 2022 Bhiwani accident, which was available on the AAIB website, the email said.
An earlier DGCA communication had sought feedback from FTOs on the operational performance of Tecnam aircraft, a civil aviation source told PTI.
A reminder was sent on August 4, 2025, with the subject: "Reminder regarding Feedback checklist for 'Operational Assessment of General Aviation (GA) Aircraft's Performance -Tecnam Aircraft."
The reminder referred to an earlier email seeking responses through the feedback checklist, according to the source.
A flying instructor, who spoke to PTI on condition of anonymity, said several instructors had faced difficulties.
"Diamond and Cessna aircraft, which have traditionally been flown for a long time, have good reliability, maintenance and airworthiness. Tecnam aircraft are becoming more popular because of their affordability, but there is a flying risk associated with them," the instructor said.
The senior pilot trainer said the concerns extended to both single-engine and multi-engine Tecnam aircraft and claimed that incidents involving the aircraft were not always reflected clearly in available records.
The instructor also referred to the 2022 Bhiwani accident and the findings of the subsequent AAIB investigation, saying they pointed to difficulties associated with operating Tecnam aircraft.
The instructor suggested the DGCA should consider grounding Tecnam aircraft temporarily and allow FTOs to operate them only after their safety and airworthiness had been fully assessed.
A Tecnam P2006T operated by Garg Aviation crashed near the Ganga in Kanpur on August 27.
The aircraft, bearing registration VT-NBV, had taken off from Kanpur Civil Airport around 11.30 am and crashed about 20 minutes later near Nathapurwa village in the Katri area along the Ganga.
Instructor Sachin Bhatia and trainee pilot Abhishek Pujari were killed in the latest crash.
"Capt Bhatia was a good pilot and an experienced flying instructor. The images of the wreckage of his plane that circulated on social media shortly after the incident reflected something unusual," the instructor told PTI.
"The damage to the aircraft was not as severe in the Bhiwani crash of 2022 although it was the same-make aircraft, but here the whole fuselage has gone leaving only the tail of the plane," the instructor added.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said the AAIB would conduct a detailed investigation into the accident, while a three-member DGCA team would provide regulatory oversight and coordination.
The investigation is expected to examine the aircraft's maintenance and airworthiness records, flying hours, age and engine operating limits, besides determining whether technical or human factors contributed to the crash.
Garg Aviation had said after the accident that the aircraft had no maintenance-related deficiencies.
