NEW DELHI: A woman trainee pilot who alighted from a two-seater aircraft at Kanpur airport with the engine running was hit by the plane’s spinning propeller and sustained injuries to her back.
The incident happened on Friday, just after her night flying instruction session concluded. The flying instructor has been de-rostered and the aircraft grounded. The aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is presently probing the incident.
The Flying Training Organisation (FTO) Kanpur-based Garg Aviations Ltd, informed the DGCA about the mishap only a day later.
The collision involving 22-year-old Delhiite, Riya Bhatra, took place around 9 pm on Friday (June 26) night but has just come to light. Bhatra was administered a few stitches to the cut injuries sustained on her hip at a private hospital, Regency, and is out of danger. Bhatra has done only three sorties on a multi-engine aircraft, though she has 300 flying hours in total. Captain Rounaq, her instructor who is a senior pilot, was seated inside the aircraft and was safe.
This domestic airport, located at Chakeri, is 17 kms from the heart of the City, and serves as an Indian Air Force base. It has operated from a new terminal since June 2023. Civilian operations are carried out by the Airport Authority of India and the airstrip here is also used for training purposes by FTOs.
In a belated statement issued on Sunday regarding the incident, the DGCA said, “On June 26, a Garg Aviation (FTO) Twin engine Tecnam P2006T aircraft VT-NBV was engaged in night instructional flying at Kanpur (Chakeri) airport. A flight instructor and a cadet were on board the aircraft. After landing, the trainee pilot deboarded the aircraft with the engine running. The cadet received injuries on her back due to a hit by the running propeller. She is admitted in a hospital in Kanpur. The involved instructor has been off-rostered from the flying training duties pending investigation.”
Further, DGCA has directed “no utilisation” of the aircraft involved in the occurrence pending investigation, it added. The regulator is probing the incident.
Captain Rajeev Bhalla, Safety officer at Garg Aviation, said, “We are still trying to find out from the trainee pilot why our trainee attempted to alight without switching off the engine. Instructor Captain Rounaq realised her blunder and quickly switched off the engine as she was leaving. The speed of the propeller was reduced and this act ensured she sustained only minor injuries. “
Stating that everyone was baffled as to why she stepped out in haste without following any basic procedure, Captain Bhalla said, “Probably, it was the heat as it gets very hot inside an aircraft. Her flying lesson was over, and she must have quickly attempted to leave.”
Asked for his response on the charge that it was a faulty training procedure, the Safety Officer ruled it out completely. “This is a multi-engine aircraft. Unlike a single engine aircraft where the engine is positioned at the nose, it has engines on both sides of the pilot's seat. Only after switching off both the engines does any pilot alight and that is how we train everyone. In this model, there is hardly any space between the propeller and the door used by the pilot. Anyone can get hit if they come out when the propeller is in motion. Switching off the engine before alighting is a basic training procedure we impart and we have been training pilots for 30 years and have an excellent safety record,” he said.
Garg Aviation informed DGCA about it on Saturday night only. Airlines generally inform the regulator immediately after any major or minor incident though they are stipulated to inform the regulator within a maximum period of 24 hours. Asked about it, Capt Bhalla said, “We wanted to get the correct picture of what happened before we reported it to the DGCA. We reported it by 8 pm yesterday through a phone call and an e-mail too. This is within the 24-hour stipulated deadline.”
The Safety Officer added that their staff rushed to assist her after the incident. “They found her bleeding a bit due to the injuries and rushed her to the nearest hospital. The initial treatment was rendered and we took her to the best multi-specialty hospital in the area. The injuries were minor and she was not admitted even to the ICU. The stitches have been done and she will be discharged in a day or two.”
A DGCA team is presently at Chakeri airport gathering information.
