Web Desk: Two pilots were killed on Thursday when a four-seat, twin-engine training aircraft crashed in a field near the Ganges River in Kanpur, authorities said.
The victims were identified as Sachin Bhatia of Gujarat and Abhishek Pujari of Karnataka. Police said one was a trainee pilot and the other an instructor.
The aircraft had taken off from the Garg Aviation training centre in Kanpur at about 11:30 a.m. and crashed roughly 20 minutes later while returning to the facility, according to officials.
Police, emergency responders and other authorities moved quickly to the crash site and secured the area.
Images from the location showed the aircraft heavily damaged, with sections of its fuselage and wings scattered across a grassy and wooded area.
The precise circumstances leading to the crash remain unclear. Officials said the aircraft lost control before going down.
Kanpur Nagar Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal said the instructor had about 3,000 hours of flying experience. He added that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had been notified and would examine the incident.
The DGCA said the aircraft was conducting a training flight within the local flying area of Kanpur Civil Airport when the accident occurred.
Two people were aboard the aircraft, including the trainee and instructor, and both suffered fatal injuries, the regulator said.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has also been notified and will conduct a detailed investigation under applicable aviation regulations.
Authorities said the investigation will establish the circumstances and cause of the crash.
The aircraft had been brought to the training centre in 2023, officials said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to the families of the two pilots and offered prayers for the deceased.
He also wished strength to their families as they cope with the loss.
Meanwhile, authorities have preserved the crash site as investigators begin gathering evidence to determine what caused the training aircraft to go down.
