Pilot, instructor killed in training aircraft crash in Kanpur
A trainee pilot and his instructor were killed on Thursday after a training aircraft crashed near the Ganga river in Kanpur, a senior police official said.
The aircraft, operated by Garg Aviation, took off at around 11:30 am and crashed roughly 20 minutes later near Nathapurwa village in the Katri area, Kanpur Commissioner of Police Raghubir Lal said.
The victims were identified as instructor Sachin Bhatia from Gujarat and trainee pilot Abhishek Pujari from Karnataka. Bhatia had approximately 3,000 hours of flying experience, according to police.
The cause of the crash has not yet been established. Police and fire personnel reached the site, secured the area and preserved the wreckage for further investigation.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to examine the aircraft's airworthiness, maintenance records and other technical aspects as part of the investigation. Preliminary information indicates that the aircraft was twin-engined.
Visuals from the crash site showed the aircraft completely wrecked, with debris scattered across the area. A seat was also seen outside the wreckage, although officials have not confirmed whether either pilot attempted to exit the aircraft.
Garg Aviation said the aircraft had been part of its fleet since 2023 and claimed it had no maintenance-related deficiencies.
Senior police and fire officials, including Commissioner Lal, Additional Commissioners of Police Vipin Tada and Sankalp Sharma, and Chief Fire Officer Deepak Sharma, visited the crash site.
with inputs from PTI
