A training aircraft crashed near Baramati airport in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Wednesday morning after reportedly developing a technical snag mid-flight, police said.
The incident took place at around 8:50 am, according to Pune Rural Police. Officials said the aircraft was flying at a low altitude when the pilot attempted a crash landing.
The crash has once again turned attention towards safety concerns at the Baramati airfield, which had come under scrutiny earlier this year following a fatal Learjet 45 accident that killed all five people on board, including Ajit Pawar.
In a statement, Pune Rural Police Superintendent Sandeep Singh Gill said eyewitnesses informed authorities that the aircraft appeared to suffer a technical issue before going down.
“As per preliminary information provided by eyewitnesses present at the scene, the aircraft developed a technical snag while flying at a low altitude. During the crash landing, a part of the aircraft hit a light pole before the aircraft crashed onto the ground,” Gill said.
Trainee pilot survives Baramati aircraft crash
Police said only one trainee pilot was inside the aircraft at the time of the accident. No serious injuries were reported.
Officials rushed to the site soon after receiving information about the crash, and further inquiry is underway.
“Upon receiving information about the incident, police personnel immediately rushed to the spot, and necessary inquiry and further action are underway,” the police statement added.
Further details regarding the aircraft and the nature of the technical failure are still awaited.
Earlier audit flagged safety concerns at Baramati airfield
The latest crash comes months after the January 28 Learjet 45 accident near the Baramati runway that claimed five lives, including Ajit Pawar, his security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.
The aircraft had reportedly crashed while attempting to land at the airfield.
Following that incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered a special safety audit of M/s VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd after a multi-disciplinary team found several procedural non-compliances related to airworthiness, air safety and flight operations.
An Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report had also highlighted infrastructure and operational shortcomings at the Baramati Airfield.
The report also pointed out that the airfield does not have its own weather monitoring system, and pilots are given weather updates through temporary setups at the site. It further noted that the airport functions as an uncontrolled airfield without navigational aids apart from wind socks.
Investigators had additionally pointed out that while only Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations are officially permitted, regular flying training and non-scheduled operations continue to be conducted there.