Kasganj, India: A trainee pilot survived after a Cessna 152 trainer aircraft operated by Chetak Aviation made an emergency landing and crash-landed in a field near an expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj district on June 29, prompting an investigation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The aircraft, registered as VT-AFB, had departed from Aligarh Airport on a solo training sortie with only the trainee pilot on board. According to the DGCA, the flight was part of a routine solo training exercise when the aircraft encountered an emergency, forcing the pilot to carry out a precautionary landing in an open field near an under-construction expressway in Kasganj.
The trainee pilot has been identified by multiple local media reports as aged 28 years. Chetak Aviation confirmed that she had accumulated the required flying hours to undertake solo flights and had been training with the flying training organisation for over a year.
According to the flying school, the aircraft took off from Aligarh at approximately 1:05 p.m., while the emergency occurred at around 3:00–4:00 p.m. near Kasganj. Soon after exiting the aircraft, the trainee pilot contacted the academy to report the occurrence, following which local police and emergency responders were alerted.
The DGCA, in its official statement, said, “Chetak Aviation Cessna 152 aircraft VT-AFB engaged in solo flying at Aligarh has crash landed in a field in Kasganj. She (trainee pilot) is reported to be safe. DGCA is investigating the occurrence.”
Chetak Aviation stated that the aircraft came down beside the expressway and that the pilot remained safe. Kasganj Police said she was taken to a local hospital for medical examination and her condition was stable.
The exact cause of the emergency landing has not yet been established. Initial reports indicate that the aircraft experienced a technical snag while airborne, compelling the pilot to attempt a forced landing. The flying training organisation said it would determine the cause only after examining the aircraft and speaking with the trainee pilot.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft descend rapidly before coming to rest in a field adjacent to the roadway. Some local reports claimed the aircraft may have struck overhead power lines before landing, although this has not been confirmed by the DGCA.
The crash site drew large crowds of local residents, while police officials quickly secured the area and facilitated the pilot’s evacuation. Photographs and videos circulating online showed the aircraft lying on its side with visible damage to one wing and the rear fuselage after skidding off the landing area.
Following the occurrence, the DGCA initiated a formal investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the emergency landing. According to subsequent reports, all training flights operated by Chetak Aviation have been suspended until the investigation is completed.
The incident marks the second trainer aircraft occurrence in Uttar Pradesh within four days. On June 26, a trainee pilot sustained serious injuries at Kanpur’s Chakeri Airport after disembarking from a Tecnam P2006T trainer aircraft operated by Garg Aviation while its engine was still running and was struck by the rotating propeller. That incident is also under investigation by the DGCA.
