A two-seater trainer aircraft crashed in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on Monday, killing a woman trainee pilot and her instructor, officials said.
“Government Aviation Training Institute’s (GATI) trainer aircraft crashed at Birasala airstrip shortly after taking off the tarmac,” said Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Dhenkanal BK Nayak.
The deceased trainee pilot is identified as Anis Fatima and the instructor pilot as Sanjeev Kumar Jha. Two were taken to a nearby hospital in Kamakhyanagar, where doctors declared them dead, said DM Dhenkanal.
Senior police and district officials are at the spot and a probe into the accident would be conducted soon.
Anupama James, Dhenkanal Superintendent of Police (SP) said prima facie, it is suspected that the aircraft nose-dived and crashed on to the runway while trying to land.
“It seems the aircraft developed some technical snag after it took off. The trainer and the trainee pilots were killed in the accident,” the SP said.
Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will inquire into the air crash at Birasala airstrip, informed GATI authorities.
The Birasala facility was opened last year. The total strength of the trainees at the facility was 90, including 36 aspiring pilots, reported IANS.
The accident might have occurred due to a technical glitch, officials said.