A trainer aircraft operated by a private company crashed near the Baramati airstrip in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Sunday, police officials said.
According to the officials, there have been no casualties in the incident, but the aircraft suffered minor damage. The crash occurred at around 12.30 pm Within the airport complex, just a short distance from the runway. Emergency forces were immediately deployed at the spot to rescue the two pilots on board. The reason of the crash is yet to be ascertained as the authorities are examining whether the aircraft developed a technical snag or faced any other technical issues.
Pressing the media on the incident, senior police officer Sandeep Singh Gill said, “An aircraft, VT-SEX, was involved in a runway excursion incident at Baramati Airfield during a training exercise, with Captain Chirag Shashikant Doifode and Cadet Abhijeet Jundre on board. No injuries have been reported.”
According to the senior official, “the aircraft had initially entered the runway through the Link Bravo, lined up at the threshold of runway 29 and carried out a rejected takeoff. Thereafter, the aircraft was lined up at the threshold of runway 11, where another rejected takeoff was carried out. During the course of this exercise, the aircraft could not be brought back to a complete stop on the runway and continued beyond the threshold of runway 29. Subsequently, it veered off the extended paved surface to the right side of, beyond the runway 29 threshold.”
This is the second crash that took place at the Baramati airport this year. Earlier, Minister Ajit Pawar , along with four others, after their Learjet 45 plane crashed near the Baramati airport. The VSR Ventures-owned plane carrying the 66-year-old NCP leader, his personal security officer, and attendant, as well as two co-pilot, cockpit crew, pilot in command- Sumit Kapoor, and the first officer- Sanbhavi Pathak, had crashed during its second landing attempt on January 28th.
A probe was launched by the AAIB, which is expected to submit its final report by January next year.