History of the Flight
On 26 April 2017, a Diamond DA-42 aircraft, registration VT-NFM, operated by the National Flying Training Institute (NFTI), was scheduled for a local instrument flying sortie in the Gondia sector west. The flight was crewed by a flight instructor and a student pilot, with an expected duration of 1 hour 20 minutes. The aircraft departed from runway 04 at Gondia Airport at approximately 0353 UTC after receiving takeoff clearance from air traffic control (ATC). The crew followed the departure procedure, turning left to intercept radial R265 as cleared. At 0357 UTC, the crew reported level at 4000 feet and intercepting radial R265 at 3 nautical miles. At 0359 UTC, they reported being at 4000 feet on radial R265 at 10 nautical miles. ATC then instructed them to climb to 5000 feet, operate between 17 and 25 nautical miles, and report every 10 minutes. The crew acknowledged at 0400 UTC, which was the last transmission from the aircraft. At 0403 UTC, ATC attempted to contact the aircraft but received no response. At approximately 0410 UTC, NFTI received a report of a crash from an employee's relative, and search and rescue was initiated. The wreckage was located on the bed of the Wainganga River near Village Dhapewada, approximately 11.8 nautical miles from Gondia airport on radial R281.
Injuries and Damage
Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident. The aircraft was completely destroyed. The top area of the cockpit and the tail were sheared off after impact with a steel ropeway cable. The aircraft then fell to the ground about 190 meters from the ropeway, with wreckage scattered over an area of approximately 150 by 200 meters. The ropeway cable remained intact, and the aircraft also brushed against a boat on the river bed.
Personnel Information
The pilot-in-command, aged 47, held a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and had a total flying experience of 3238:55 hours, with 271:30 hours on the Diamond DA-42. He was an ex-defence pilot who joined NFTI in March 2014 as a ground instructor and later became Chief Ground Instructor. He did not meet the requirements for a Flight Instructor Rating (Aeroplane) due to insufficient night flying and assistant instructor hours, and a request for exemption under Rule 160 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 had been submitted to allow him to conduct instructional flying without a valid FIR. The student pilot held a Student Pilot License (SPL).
Accident Sequence
According to witness statements and evidence at the crash site, the aircraft was flying at an altitude of 60–70 feet above the river bed when it struck a steel cable of a ropeway. The impact sheared off the upper cockpit and tail. The aircraft then crashed onto the river bed approximately 190 meters from the ropeway. The flight was being conducted under special VFR conditions with reported visibility of 4000 meters in haze and winds from 330° at 7 knots.
Investigation
The Ministry of Civil Aviation appointed a Committee of Inquiry, with Mr. Jasbir Singh Larhga as Chairman and Mr. Dinesh Kumar as Member. The investigation included examination of the wreckage, engine strip examination, and analysis of flight data. The Transport Safety Board of Canada appointed an accredited representative under ICAO Annex 13. No probable cause was stated in the report.