Trainee Pilot, Instructor Hurt After Aircraft Crashes Near Pune Village In Maharashtra, 2nd Incident In Four Days

A senior police officer confirmed the crash and said that the reason is being ascertained and a probe into the matter has been launched.

Image of the crashed training aircraft

A trainee pilot and an instructor on board a training aircraft were injured after it crashed near a village in Maharashtra's Pune on Sunday. The aircraft crashed near Gojubavi village under Baramati taluka at around 8 am. Baramati police station's senior inspector Prabhakar More confirmed the incident and said that a training aircraft, belonging to the Redbird Flight Training Academy, crashed near Gojubavi village, reported PTI.

"A trainee pilot and an instructor suffered injuries in the crash. Both have been rushed to a nearby hospital. The cause of the crash is not yet known," More added.

News agency ANI reported citing DGCA that further probe into the incident was underway.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Red Bird Academy Tecnam aircraft VT-RBT made an emergency landing near Baramati airfield. The instructor and trainee both are safe. Further investigation underway: DGCA ( Directorate General of Civil Aviation) https://t.co/yJ8AWToTUw pic.twitter.com/7Ajapflbra

— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2023

According to PTI, this is the second such incident involving the private aviation academy's aircraft in four days.

Earlier on Thursday evening, a training aircraft of the academy crashed near Baramati's Kaftal village. According to police officials, a pilot was injured in the incident.

In another incident, two Indian trainee pilots lost their lives on October 7 in a plane crash in Canada's British Columbia. Canadian police officials told the media that both pilots were in the twin-engined light aircraft, Piper PA-34 Seneca when it crashed into trees and bushes behind a motel in the city of Chilliwack. The deceased were identified as Abhay Gadroo and Yash Vijay Ramugade.

Haylie Morris, who worked nearby to the crash site, told the Vancouver Sun newspaper that she watched the plane when it crashed. She said, “I started running and I saw it go into the forest across the street, crash through the trees.”

"The scene is contained and there were no other reported injuries or risks to the public in the area," an India Today report cited Canadian Police as saying.