LUCKNOW: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has identified shortcomings in Garg Aviation’s safety monitoring while investigating the fatal crash of a trainer aircraft in Kanpur last month, though it has not yet determined the cause of the accident.The AAIB found that Garg Aviation had not complied with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) Flying Training Circular 01 of 2022, which requires flying training organisations to monitor training flights to improve operational safety and training quality.The bureau said the flying school claimed it carried out random checks of data recorded by the aircraft’s Garmin G950 digital cockpit system, which records flight information such as altitude, speed, engine performance and the aircraft’s flight path, but kept no records of such monitoring.Investigators also found that there was no standard operating procedure explaining how the data should be analysed or what thresholds would trigger a safety review.The AAIB has recommended that the DGCA direct Garg Aviation and other flying training organisations to strictly follow the circular and issue detailed guidelines on flight data monitoring.The accident involved a Tecnam P2006T aircraft, registered VT-NBV, which crashed near Kanpur’s Ganga Barrage on Aug. 27 during a routine training flight. Deputy Chief Flight Instructor (Dy CFI) Sachin Bhatia and trainee pilot Abhishek Pujari were on board, and both died in the crash.The aircraft had taken off from Kanpur Civil Aerodrome for a training exercise that included practising emergency procedures and handling simulated equipment failures.“It was the first sortie of the day, and according to the report, the aircraft had valid airworthiness certificates with no technical defects reported before takeoff,” the preliminary report said.The 39-year-old instructor had logged more than 3,337 flying hours, including over 283 hours on the Tecnam P2006T. The 28-year-old trainee pilot had nearly 200 hours of flying experience but only four hours on the aircraft type. Both had undergone mandatory preflight breathalyser tests and tested negative for alcohol before the flight.According to the AAIB, the aircraft took off at around 11.11 am and reported “Ops Normal” over the radio at about 11.25 am, informing the temporary air traffic controller that it would make another call in 10 minutes.“However, no further communication was received. Repeated attempts to contact the aircraft failed, prompting the chief flight instructor to launch another aircraft to search for it,” the report said.At around 12.10 pm, Garg Aviation learnt that the aircraft had crashed near the Ganga Barrage. Residents alerted police through the emergency helpline, and the two occupants were taken to hospital, where they were declared dead.“The aircraft was destroyed in the impact, though no post-crash fire occurred,” the report said, adding that no distress call was made before the crash.The preliminary report also examined the weather conditions at the time of the accident. While Kanpur Civil Aerodrome does not have a dedicated meteorological facility, weather data from a nearby Air Force station indicated rain, mist, low clouds and thunderstorm advisories around the time of the flight, with visibility ranging between 3 km and 5 km.The AAIB said it had recovered the aircraft’s Garmin data card, engines and other components for detailed examination. Investigators are also scrutinising operational records, maintenance documents, fuel and oil samples, and statements from personnel.The AAIB clarified that the report is preliminary and that the investigation remains ongoing.
