A twin‑engine four‑seater training aircraft belonging to Garg Aviation crashed near Nattha Khera Ganga Barrage in Kanpur on Thursday morning, killing both the instructor and trainee pilot on the spot.
The victims were identified as Sachin Bhatia, an experienced instructor pilot from Gujarat with over 3,000 flying hours, and Abhishek Pujari, a trainee pilot from Karnataka. The aircraft had taken off from Garg Aviation’s Civil Aerodrome training centre at 11:30 am and crashed around 11:50 am while returning.
Emergency rescue and fire suppression teams from Kanpur Nagar rushed to the site under the supervision of the Chief Fire Officer. Visuals showed the wreckage scattered in a grassy field, with twisted metal parts and broken wings.
Police cordoned off the crash site, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been alerted. A DGCA team is expected to conduct a detailed inspection to determine the cause, which remains unclear at this stage.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the tragedy, offering condolences to the bereaved families and praying for strength to cope with the loss.
Officials said the aircraft had been inducted into Garg Aviation’s fleet in 2023. The incident has once again raised questions about training aircraft safety and maintenance standards.
