AAIB to Probe Kanpur Training Aircraft Crash That Killed Instructor and Trainee Pilot

Kanpur: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will conduct a detailed probe into the crash of a Garg Aviation training aircraft near Kanpur that claimed the lives of an instructor and a trainee pilot, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also constituted a three-member team to visit the crash site and oversee regulatory and technical aspects of the investigation.

The crash involved a Tecnam P2006T twin-engine aircraft, registration VT-NBV, which went down approximately five nautical miles from Kanpur Civil Airport near the Ganga Barrage on August 27. The aircraft was reportedly conducting a training sortie in the airport's local flying area when the accident occurred.

Both people on board died in the crash.

Instructor, Trainee Pilot Among Those Killed

The deceased have been identified as Sachin Bhatia, an instructor from Gujarat, and Abhishek Pujari, a trainee pilot from Karnataka.

According to Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal, Bhatia had around 3,000 hours of flying experience.

The aircraft was being operated by Garg Aviation, a flying training organisation that conducts pilot training operations from Kanpur.

Cause of Crash Yet to Be Established

The precise cause of the accident remains unknown and is expected to be determined only after completion of the investigation.

Investigators are likely to examine several possibilities, including mechanical or technical failure, operational issues and human factors. The aircraft's maintenance records, airworthiness documents, total flying hours, engine history and applicable operating limitations are also expected to come under scrutiny.

Garg Aviation has stated that the aircraft had no known maintenance-related deficiencies.

Officials will also examine the wreckage and other available evidence to establish what happened during the final stages of the flight.

Conflicting Details Emerge on Flight Timeline

Preliminary information released after the crash has contained differences regarding the aircraft's departure time and duration of the flight.

According to police, the aircraft took off from the Garg Aviation training facility at around 11.30 a.m. on August 27 and crashed approximately 20 minutes later near Nathapurwa village in the Katri area, close to the Ganga.

Other preliminary accounts have put the departure time at around 11.40 a.m. and the flight duration at approximately 40 minutes.

Investigators are expected to establish the aircraft's exact flight path and timeline as part of the formal probe.

Wreckage Secured, Police Inquiry Underway

The aircraft was severely damaged in the crash, with debris scattered across the accident site.

Police and fire personnel secured the area and preserved the wreckage for examination. The bodies were subsequently sent for post-mortem examination.

A local police inquiry has also been initiated, with an Assistant Commissioner of Police assigned to coordinate with the aviation investigation teams.

Earlier Safety Incident Involving VT-NBV Under Scrutiny

The fatal crash has also brought attention to an earlier incident involving the same aircraft.

On June 26, a trainee pilot was seriously injured while deboarding the Tecnam at Kanpur's Chakeri Airport while its propeller was still running.

Following that incident, the DGCA had directed that VT-NBV should not be operated pending an investigation.

Reports have indicated that the aircraft subsequently returned to flying operations before the fatal crash on August 27. However, the circumstances surrounding its return to service would need to be established through official records and the ongoing investigation.

The June incident had already triggered regulatory scrutiny of safety procedures at the flying training organisation. However, there is currently no official finding establishing a link between the June incident and the fatal crash.

Any connection between the two incidents, if established, will have to emerge from the ongoing investigation.

Spotlight on Safety of Flying Training Organisations

The Kanpur crash is likely to intensify scrutiny of safety standards at flying training organisations across India, particularly in relation to aircraft maintenance, airworthiness, operational procedures and instructor-trainee safety practices.

The AAIB investigation and the DGCA's technical examination will seek to determine whether the accident was caused by an aircraft-related failure, an operational or human factor, or a combination of circumstances.

Authorities are expected to examine the aircraft wreckage, maintenance and flight records, operational documentation and other relevant evidence before determining the cause of the accident.

Until the investigation is completed, no definitive conclusion can be drawn about what caused the crash.

Journalist & Reporter: Praanav Parsoon
Date: August 30, 2026