Pune: A training aircraft operated by Carver Aviation veered off the runway during a training exercise at the Baramati airstrip on Sunday afternoon. Both occupants of the aircraft were unhurt. Sources said the DGCA will investigate this incident.The incident occurred at 12:36 pm when the four-seater Cessna 172S, bearing registration VT-SEX, was conducting a circuit and landing emergencies exercise. Pune rural SP Sandip Singh Gill said the aircraft was occupied by captain and trainer Chirag Shashikant Doifode and cadet Abhijeet Jundre.Inspector Narayan Pawar told TOI that the aircraft could not stop after its second landing and veered around 25 feet to the right of the runway threshold. “The brakes of the aircraft seem to have not worked … things are in control now,” he said.Pune rural deputy SP Chaitanya Kadam said both occupants were safe.In a circuit and landing emergencies exercise, trainees are taught to land an aircraft safely during an emergency. Sources said the aircraft completed one circuit, including a take-off and landing, and landed during the second attempt but could not come to a complete halt, eventually overshooting the runway.Sources said the aircraft took part in a “rejected take-off” training scenario on Runway 29 (Baramati side) and failed to stop during the second attempt on Runway 11, on the Pune side.Carver is one of two flight training institutes in Baramati — Redbird Flight Training Academy being the other. The facility, operated by Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited, has a table-top runway, while its air traffic control tower is operated by students and instructors of the institute.Sunday’s incident has renewed questions over safety at the airstrip, which has witnessed multiple incidents in recent months. Former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others died when their aircraft crashed at the airstrip on Jan 28. Sunday’s incident was the second since January’s tragic crash, after an incident involving a training aircraft in May.Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s preliminary report on the Ajit Pawar crash had flagged several infrastructure and maintenance shortcomings at the airport. It noted the absence of navigational aids beyond windsocks, with the airport permitting only visual flight rule operations. The report also highlighted the lack of an in-house aircraft rescue and firefighting unit, faded runway markings, loose gravel and inadequate fencing. The last runway recarpeting had been carried out in March 2016, the report said.In May, CM Devendra Fadnavis told TOI that govt had yet to finalise the schedule to upgrade and redevelop the airstrip — the state has allocated Rs 100 crore for an overhaul.
