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Training Flight Ends in Tragedy : Pilot and Instructor Killed in Kanpur Crash
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh : Tragedy struck Kanpur on Thursday when a twin-engine, four-seater training aircraft crashed in a field near the banks of the Ganga, killing both people on board a trainee pilot and an instructor. According to police, the deceased have been identified as Sachin Bhatia from Gujarat and Abhishek Pujari from Karnataka. The aircraft took off from the Garg Aviation training centre in Kanpur at around 11:30 am and was reportedly returning to the centre when the crash occurred approximately 20 minutes later, at around 11:50 am.
The sudden accident sent shockwaves through the area as the aircraft came down in a grassy and wooded stretch near the river. Dramatic visuals from the crash site showed the training plane completely wrecked, with its metal structure twisted and its wings and white panels shattered into pieces. Emergency teams, police and administrative officials rushed to the spot soon after receiving information about the crash and secured the area as rescue and investigation operations began. Police officials said one of the pilots was a trainee, while the other was an experienced instructor who reportedly had around 3,000 hours of flying experience. Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had been informed and its team would conduct a detailed investigation to determine what went wrong. Officials said the aircraft apparently lost control before crashing, but the exact cause of the accident remains unknown and will be established only after a thorough technical investigation. The aircraft had reportedly been brought to the training centre in 2023 and was being used for pilot training.
The devastating crash has once again raised concerns over aviation safety and the risks faced during training flights. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed deep condolences over the deaths, praying for peace for the departed souls and strength for the bereaved families to endure the immense loss. As investigators begin examining the wreckage and flight-related details, the exact sequence of events leading to the fatal crash remains under investigation.
