Probe ordered into plane damaged in runway excursion at Baramati in Maharashtra
New Delhi, Aug 9
Civil Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation has launched an investigation into a runway excursion incident involving a Cessna training aircraft at the Baramati airfield in Maharashtra on Sunday in which the plane was damaged, according to a statement issued by the Civil Aviation Ministry.
The aircraft was unable to stop within the paved runway surface during a training exercise and veered off beyond the threshold of Runway 29 towards the right side.
There were no injuries or fatalities reported.
However, the aircraft has sustained damage to the propeller, engine cowling and nose landing gear and a detailed assessment of the plane will be carried out by the competent authorities, the statement said.
The Cessna C-172 trainer Aircraft registration VT-SEX, belongs to Academy of Carver Aviation, a DGCA approved Flying Training Organisation.
The aircraft was being operated for a Circuit and Landing Emergencies (CL Emergencies) training exercise, under the command of Captain Chirag Shashikant Doifode, flight instructor, with trainee Abhijeet Jundre on board.
The plane taxied out at around 12:09 p.m. for the scheduled training exercise.
During the exercise, the aircraft entered the runway through Link Bravo and lined up at the threshold of Runway 29, where a rejected take-off exercise practice was carried out.
Subsequently, the aircraft lined up at the threshold of Runway 11 and another rejected take-off exercise was carried out, the statement noted.
"During the course of the exercise, the aircraft was unable to stop within the paved runway surface and subsequently veered off the extended paved surface beyond the threshold of Runway 29 towards the right side, resulting in a runway excursion," the statement said.
"The aircraft has sustained prima facie damage to the propeller, engine cowling and nose landing gear. A detailed assessment of the damage will be carried out by the competent authorities," the statement added.
"The DGCA Air Safety team is proceeding to the site to conduct a preliminary investigation and ascertain the circumstances and contributing factors leading to the incident. Further information will be shared as and when it is verified and becomes available," the statement said.
A runway excursion, in aviation parlance, is a safety incident where an aircraft departs the paved runway surface during takeoff or landing.
This happens either by running off the side of the runway or shooting past the end of it.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Glad the instructor and trainee are safe. Baramati is becoming a hub for flight training, so hopefully this incident will push for better runway maintenance and more rigorous training procedures.
This is what happens when you cut corners in aviation. The DGCA needs to be vigilant, not just reactive. Every flying training organisation must follow strict SOPs, no excuses. Safety first, always.
A rejected takeoff exercise gone wrong? These drills are meant to prepare for emergencies, so it's ironic that an emergency occurred. Props to the pilot for keeping everyone safe. Aviation training needs constant review.
India's aviation sector is growing, but we must ensure safety standards don't lag behind. Runway excursion is a serious issue. Hope the DGCA's investigation leads to better infrastructure and pilot training at all FTOs.
#VT-SEX, that's quite a registration number! 😂 But jokes aside, safety is paramount. The fact that this happened during a training exercise shows that even routine drills can have unexpected outcomes. Good that DGCA is on it.
This is why we need better runway safety areas and proper risk assessment. A Cessna running off the end isn't a disaster, but it could have
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