Two trainee pilots were killed when a twin-engine training aircraft crashed into a field in Nattupurwa village in Kanpur’s Katri area on Thursday, police said. The crash occurred near the Ganga Barrage area, prompting rescue operations and drawing a large crowd from nearby villages.
Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal said the deceased pilots were identified as Abhishek Pujari, a resident of Karnataka, and Sumit Bhatia, a resident of Gujarat. He said both pilots died at the crash site.
The aircraft was a four-seat model used for training flights. According to the information available, it took off from the Kanpur Cantonment area at about 11:20 a.m. before coming down in a field in Nattupurwa village.
Rescue teams reach the crash site
Police and local administration teams arrived after receiving information about the accident. The pilots were taken out of the aircraft during the rescue operation, but both had died, according to the police commissioner.
Witnesses reported that the aircraft suddenly descended during the afternoon and fell into the field. They also heard a loud sound when it struck the ground. The crash caused panic in surrounding villages, and many people gathered at the location after the news spread.
Police inspected the site and began examining the circumstances of the crash. The available information does not establish whether a technical problem, weather conditions or another factor caused the aircraft to go down.
DGCA team expected to examine the accident
Lal said the aircraft had been brought for training in 2023 and was manufactured by Tecnam. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation was informed about the accident, and a DGCA team was expected to reach the site.
Officials said the precise cause would be known only after the investigation. Relief and rescue work was continuing at the crash location.
The supplied material contains an internal inconsistency: its summary refers to one pilot as seriously injured, while the detailed account and the police commissioner’s reported confirmation state that both pilots died. This story follows the detailed account and police confirmation.
