27 August,2026 03:40 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
The Tecnam P2006T aircraft, operated by Kanpur-based Garg Aviation Ltd, crashed in the afternoon near the Ganga Barrage, around five nautical miles from Kanpur Civil Airport. Pic/PTI
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the crash of a twin-engine training aircraft near Kanpur that killed a trainee pilot and an instructor on Thursday, the civil aviation ministry said.
The Tecnam P2006T aircraft, operated by Kanpur-based Garg Aviation Ltd, crashed in the afternoon near the Ganga Barrage, around five nautical miles from Kanpur Civil Airport.
The aircraft, bearing registration VT-NBV, was on a training flight in the local flying area of Kanpur Civil Airport when the accident occurred, according to preliminary information provided by the ministry.
The two victims were identified as instructor Sachin Bhatia from Gujarat and trainee pilot Abhishek Pujari from Karnataka, police said.
The aircraft had taken off at around 11.30 am and crashed approximately 20 minutes later near Nathapurwa village in the Katri area along the banks of the Ganga, Kanpur Commissioner of Police Raghubir Lal told PTI.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
Bhatia had around 3,000 hours of flying experience, the police commissioner said.
"The aircraft was on a training flight in the Local Flying Area of Kanpur civil airport. There were two persons on board, a trainee pilot and an instructor. Both sustained fatal injuries in the accident," the civil aviation ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said the AAIB had been informed about the accident and would carry out a detailed investigation under the applicable rules.
"The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been informed and will undertake a detailed investigation into the accident in accordance with the applicable rules. The circumstances and cause of the accident will be determined through the investigation," the statement said.
A three-member team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation will also visit the crash site for regulatory oversight and coordination, the ministry added.
Police said aviation authorities would examine the aircraft's airworthiness, maintenance records and other technical aspects as part of the investigation.
Police and fire personnel rushed to the site after the crash, cordoned off the area and secured the wreckage for the investigation, Lal said.
Senior police and fire officials, including Additional Commissioners of Police Vipin Tada and Sankalp Sharma and Chief Fire Officer Deepak Sharma, visited the site following the accident.
Videos from the crash site showed the aircraft reduced to wreckage, with debris scattered across the surrounding area.
A seat was also seen outside the main wreckage. However, officials have not confirmed whether the two occupants attempted to escape from the aircraft before the crash.
Authorities are expected to examine the wreckage and other evidence to establish the sequence of events leading to the accident.
The aircraft had been operated by Garg Aviation since 2023, according to the company.
Garg Aviation claimed that the aircraft had no maintenance-related deficiencies before the accident.
The claim, along with the aircraft's maintenance history and technical condition, is likely to be examined as part of the official investigation.
The Tecnam P2006T is a twin-engine aircraft commonly used for pilot training. Investigators will examine several aspects of the flight, including the aircraft's condition, maintenance records, weather and operating conditions, and events during the training sortie.
Officials stressed that the circumstances and cause of the crash have not yet been determined.
The AAIB investigation is expected to establish the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify any factors that may have contributed to the crash.
(With inputs from PTI)
