NEW DELHI: In the second such incident involving a trainee pilot of a private Flying Training Organisation (FTO) within four days, a woman cadet escaped with minor injuries after the Cessna aircraft she was flying crash-landed on an under-construction highway in Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj on Monday afternoon.
The 28-year-old trainee, Kainat, was flying solo and suffered minor injuries to her hands. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the incident.
Photos and videos from the crash site showed the aircraft skidding off the empty stretch of the highway, which is still under construction, before toppling onto its side. The Cessna appeared to have sustained extensive damage to one wing and its rear section.
In a statement, the DGCA said the pilot was flying a Cessna 152 aircraft bearing registration number VT-AFB, operated by Chetak Aviation.
"She is reported to be safe. DGCA is investigating the occurrence," it said.
A representative of Aligarh-based Chetak Aviation said Kainat had been training with the FTO for over a year and had logged sufficient flying hours to undertake solo flights.
"She took off from the Aligarh airstrip at 1.05 pm and had been practising different manoeuvres in the air. The incident occurred near Kasganj at around 3 pm. Kainat called our office immediately after getting out of the aircraft and informed us about the crash. We alerted the local police to assist her. She suffered minor injuries to her hands, received treatment at a nearby hospital and has since been discharged," the representative said.
He said the exact cause of the crash was not yet known.
"We will speak to Kainat shortly. She is in a state of panic right now. Our team is at the spot with DGCA officials to ascertain what happened," he said.
According to the representative, Kainat is recuperating at her rented accommodation in Aligarh, where she has been staying during her flight training.
Responding to a query on why the trainee was flying without an instructor, he said Kainat had accumulated the required flying hours to qualify for solo sorties.
"She has a sufficient number of flying hours, which allows her to fly solo. Solo flying hours are also a mandatory part of pilot training," he said.