Another Plane Crash In Baramati: Carvwr Aviation's Trainee Aircraft Overruns Runway During Emergency Practice, Crew Unharmed

Mumbai: A Cessna C172 training aircraft operated by the Academy of Carver Aviation suffered a runway excursion on Sunday afternoon during a specialised flight training exercise at Baramati Airfield in Maharashtra. Both crew members – a flight instructor and a flight cadet – evacuated the aircraft without injury, though the trainer sustained significant front-end damage.

The incident occurred at approximately 12.25pm during a mandatory practice session for circuit and landing (CL) emergencies.

According to operational logs, the single-engine aircraft, registered as VT-SEX, taxied out from the apron at ariund 12.09pm. Under the command of flight instructor Capt. Chirag Shashikant Doifode, with Cadet Abhijeet Jundre at the controls, the crew initiated dynamic emergency drills on the runway.

The aircraft entered the active surface via taxiway Link Bravo and initially lined up at the threshold of Runway 29, where the crew conducted a planned rejected take-off (RTO) practice maneuver. Following the first drill, the Cessna lined up at the opposite threshold of Runway 11 to perform a second back-to-back rejected take-off exercise.

During the second exercise, the crew was unable to bring the aircraft to a complete stop within the remaining available landing distance. The Cessna overran the paved threshold of Runway 29, rolled onto the extended paved overrun strip and veered-off to the right into the surrounding terrain before coming to a halt.

Local law enforcement and airfield emergency services responded immediately to the site. Speaking on the incident, Pune Rural superintendent of police, Sandeep Singh Gill, confirmed that both aircrew members escaped unharmed.

"An aircraft VT-SEX was involved in a runway excursion incident at Baramati Airfield during a training exercise, with Capt Chirag Shashikant Doifode and Cadet Abhijeet Jundre on board. No injuries have been reported," said the police official.

Prima facie inspection indicates structural damage concentrated on the forward section of the aircraft. The impact with the unpaved surface resulted in visible damage to the propeller blades, engine cowling and nose landing gear assembly.

The Academy of Carver Aviation is a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-approved flying training organisation (FTO) headquartered at Baramati.

An investigation team from the DGCA Air Safety division was dispatched to Baramati Airfield to examine the airframe, inspect the runway conditions, review cockpit procedures and determine the contributing factors such as brake performance, runway available distance and deceleration technique that led to the excursion.

A final assessment of the airframe damage will be conducted once the site is cleared by aviation safety inspectors.