A trainer aircraft operated by Red Bird Aviation crash-landed in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district on Sunday, injuring both the pilot and a trainee pilot. The incident took place in the Babaleshwar area, where the aircraft made a forced landing in an agricultural field, drawing immediate attention from local residents.
According to officials, the trainer aircraft was carrying two people at the time of the incident. Eyewitnesses said villagers rushed to the spot moments after the aircraft came down and attempted to assist the occupants. Visuals from the scene showed the trainee pilot lying near the aircraft while the pilot was seen standing as locals gathered and recorded the incident on their mobile phones.
The injured have been identified as Captain Kunal Malhotra, the pilot, and Goutham Sankar, the trainee pilot. Both were promptly shifted to a nearby hospital in a 108 ambulance for medical treatment.
Superintendent of Police (SP) of Vijayapura, Laxman B Nimbargi, confirmed that the injuries were not life-threatening. “The preliminary information suggests that both the pilot and the trainee are safe. They were shifted to a hospital for treatment. The aircraft was reportedly flying from Kalaburagi to Belagavi at the time of the incident,” he said.
Police personnel from Babaleshwar Police Station reached the crash site soon after receiving information and initiated a preliminary investigation to ascertain the circumstances that led to the forced landing.
Later on Sunday evening, the Ministry of Civil Aviation issued a statement stating that the aircraft made a force landing due to suspected fuel starvation. The ministry also revealed that the trainer aircraft was manufactured in 1975, highlighting its age as a point of consideration in the ongoing assessment.
According to official records, the aircraft’s certificate of registration with Red Bird Aviation was issued on May 23, 2023, while the certificate of airworthiness was granted on September 20, 2023. The Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC) for the aircraft was issued on August 1, 2025, and is valid until August 3, 2026.
The ARC is issued after a detailed inspection of the aircraft to ensure that it meets safety standards and is fit for operation. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident and whether any lapses contributed to the forced landing.
