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Khajuraho, India: A training aircraft operated by the Indian Flying Academy made an emergency landing at Khajuraho Airport, Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday after experiencing a serious technical snag involving the landing gear. The incident occurred during a routine flight training sortie and has since triggered a regulatory probe by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
According to airport authorities and official sources, the training aircraft encountered a malfunction in its rear right landing gear shortly after takeoff. In response, the crew chose to remain airborne for nearly two hours in a holding pattern. This decision was made to reduce the onboard fuel load and minimize the risk of fire during the emergency landing. As part of standard emergency protocol, foam was sprayed on the runway to further enhance safety conditions for the returning aircraft.
The aircraft landed on two functional wheels at around 3:40 PM. Upon touchdown, the aircraft skidded off the runway due to the failed gear, but both the flight instructor and trainee pilot on board escaped unharmed. The situation was promptly brought under control by the airport’s emergency response teams. No fire was reported, and there was no disruption to commercial operations at the airport following the incident.
Authorities from the DGCA have confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine the root cause of the landing gear failure. Preliminary reports suggest that the crew followed all necessary safety protocols and managed the situation with composure and professionalism, thereby avoiding a major accident.
This incident brings renewed focus to safety practices at Indian flying schools, which have been under increased scrutiny. The DGCA has recently emphasized the importance of standardizing training operations across flight academies and ensuring that infrastructure, aircraft maintenance, and instructor qualifications meet rigorous aviation standards.
Additionally, new transparency directives now require flying schools to publicly disclose their fleet details, student-instructor ratios, and CPL training timelines, allowing students and parents to make informed decisions.
While no injuries were reported in the Khajuraho emergency, the event serves as a reminder of the real-time challenges faced in flight training environments and the critical importance of emergency preparedness. The Indian Flying Academy has not yet released a detailed statement but is said to be cooperating fully with regulatory officials in the ongoing inquiry.
Further updates will follow as the investigation progresses.
