Maharashtra: Training Aircraft Crash-Lands at Baramati Airport, Pilot Escapes with Minor Injuries; Major Tragedy Averted

A training aircraft belonging to Redbird Flight Training Centre, a private aviation training institute, met with an accident at Baramati airport in the MIDC area on Saturday at around 8:40 am. The incident occurred when the aircraft was landing after completing a training sortie, officials said. The aircraft was being flown by trainee pilot Vivek Yadav (24), a resident of Mumbai, who escaped with minor injuries. According to reports, at 8:40 am, the RBVY model aircraft operated by Redbird Flight Training Centre took off for a training flight. Soon after takeoff, the pilot noticed a malfunction in the aircraft’s wheel.

During the landing, the front wheel detached from the aircraft, causing the accident. The mishap occurred near the ATC tower at Baramati airport. This marks the third accident involving a Redbird Flight Training Centre aircraft in the last 22 months. Earlier, two accidents occurred in October 2023 involving the institute's aircraft. Saturday's incident has once again raised concerns about the safety of Baramati residents. Had the aircraft crashed into a house, school, or one of the industrial units in MIDC, it could have led to significant loss of life. Preliminary findings suggest a technical failure, possibly due to the damaged tyre, as the immediate cause of the incident, officials said.

Demand for action against the institute

Several complaints have been filed on earlier occasions against Redbird Flight Training Centre, but no concrete action has been taken so far. BJP leader Vaibhav Solankar has demanded a thorough investigation into the incident and immediate action against the institute. Solankar had earlier lodged a complaint with Union Civil Aviation Minister Murlidhar Mohol regarding safety concerns. Following a spate of five accidents in six months, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had suspended Redbird’s flight training operations at all six of its bases in October 2023 to enforce safety improvements. The Delhi-based institute, operational since 2017, runs bases at Baramati in Pune district, Lilabari in Assam, Gulbarga and Belgaum in Karnataka, Seoni in Madhya Pradesh, and Colombo in Sri Lanka.