Maharashtra: Flight instructor dead, student injured in aircraft crash
A flight instructor was killed and a student injured when their training aircraft crashed in the Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra on Friday, an official said. The Tecnam two-seater plane of the Academy of Aviation Shirpur in Dhule district had taken off from the institute's airstrip around 3 pm and crashed at 3:45 pm, Academy Director Air Commodore Hitesh Patel said.
The trainee student was taken by road to Nanavati Hospital
While the instructor Captain Nurul Amen (28) died on the spot, the trainee student Anshika Gurjar (22) was injured and taken by road to Mumbai's Nanavati Hospital, he said. The training flight was scheduled to return in two and a half hours after traversing the over 200 nautical miles distance between Shirpur and Shegaon, Air Commodore Patel said.
Plane crashed near Chopda area of Satpura mountain range
The plane crashed near Wardi village in the Chopda area of the Satpura mountain range. "While we're still investigating the cause of the crash, our priority is the well-being of the bereaved family and the injured trainee. We're ensuring the best possible care for Anshika, and have reached out to Capt Amen's family with our full support," Registrar of NMIMS Deemed-to-be-University Meena Chintamaneni said.
Investigation team rushed to site: Civil Aviation Minister
The single-engine aircraft VT-BRPA belonged to the Academy of Aviation, Shirpur that is part of NMIMS Deemed-to-be-University. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said an investigation team was being rushed to the site of the crash. "Unfortunately, we lost the flight instructor & the trainee is severely injured. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family & prayers for the trainee's quick recovery," Scindia tweeted.
