AHMEDABAD: A deadly crash jolted Amreli as a trainer aircraft from a private aviation academy plunged into a residential area near Giria Road, killing a trainee pilot on April 22.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, raising fresh concerns over flight safety in training operations.
Eyewitnesses reported that three people were injured in the chaos that followed the plane crash.
"An aircraft crash-landed into a residential area in the Giriya Road area of Amreli town around 12:30 pm for unknown reasons," said Amreli Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kharat.
"There is a flying institute in the Amreli police station area that offers pilot training. Our investigation has revealed that a training aircraft from the institute crashed during a session, resulting in the death of a trainee pilot. No one else was injured in the accident," he said.
"A case has been registered at the local police station, and further investigation is underway," he added.
"This was a trainer aircraft with permission for solo flying," Amreli Collector Ajay Dahiya told local media.
"There is no damage in the surrounding area. The plane struck a tree and caught fire. We have received information about the incident and informed the DGCA. DGCA will carry out the investigation,” Ajay added.
Amreli Dysp Chirag Desai said, "The training institute, which operates single-engine planes in Amreli, reported that Aniket Mahajan, who had taken off four times during his training in landing and circuit exercises, crashed after completing a takeoff and landed at Shastrinagar in the Amreli Taluka Police Station area."
“Upon receiving the call, the Police immediately reached the spot. The fire, and disaster response teams cordoned off the area, and efforts were made to rescue him. Further procedures are underway. Aniket was flying alone in the plane at the time of the crash," he added.
The crash has reignited safety concerns surrounding private flying schools in Gujarat. A similar incident took place a few months ago in Mehsana involving a female trainee pilot, who escaped with minor injuries.
Gujarat is home to over a dozen of approved Flying Training Organisations (FTOs), each enrolling 300-400 trainees annually.
These academies primarily train with small aircraft like Cessna 152s and 172s, offering solo flights, cross-country navigation, and simulator hours.
With India’s soaring demand for commercial pilots, enrollment numbers continue to rise, while the DGCA keeps a watchful eye on these training institutions.