What happened
On April 26, 2017, a Diamond DA-42, registration VT-NFM, operated by the National Flying Training Institute (NFTI), was conducting a local instrument flying training sortie near Gondia. After departing from Runway 04, the crew initially reported following the assigned departure procedure. However, the aircraft deviated from its cleared route and began flying at a significantly lower altitude than authorized.
While traversing the riverbed of the Waing andinga River near Dhapewada village, the aircraft struck a steel ropeway cable. The impact was catastrophic, shearing off the upper cockpit area and the vertical stabilizer. Following the collision, the aircraft pitched down and banked, eventually crashing onto the riverbed approximately 190 meters from the cable. The impact resulted in two fatalities, claiming the lives of both the flight instructor and the student pilot. The aircraft was completely destroyed.
The investigation
AAIB India's investigation focused on the flight path, the crew's adherence to ATC instructions, and the environmental conditions. Investigators examined wreckage, analyzed flight data from similar aircraft, and reviewed ATC transcripts. The inquiry established that the aircraft was not maintaining the assigned altitude and was providing inaccurate position reports to Air Traffic Control.
Furthermore, the investigation looked into the instructor's previous flight history. Analysis of data from other flights operated by the deceased instructor revealed a pattern of low-altitude flying and dangerous maneuvers during the final training sorties of student pilots. The investigation also noted that the flight was being conducted under Special VFR conditions in the absence of the Chief Flight Instructor, which was a departure from established regulations.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the crew failing to follow the assigned flight route and flying at an excessively low altitude over the riverbed.
- The aircraft struck a steel ropeway cable, which caused the fatal structural failure of the cockpit and tail.
- Reduced visibility, with approximately 4000 meters of visibility in haze, may have contributed to the crew's loss of situational awareness regarding the cable.
- The aircraft was reporting incorrect positional information to ATC, masking its deviation from the cleared track.
- Evidence suggested a pattern of unauthorized low-level maneuvering by the instructor in previous training flights.
Safety action
- The DGCA is advised to implement stricter oversight and mitigation measures for pilots operating under regulatory exemptions.
- Regulations regarding the required presence of a Chief Flight Instructor during Special VFR operations should be clarified to remove ambiguity.
- Air Traffic Controllers should be instructed to more rigorously monitor aircraft that fail to acknowledge instructions, particularly in non-radar environments.
- Flight training organizations should implement periodic monitoring of flight paths to ensure compliance with authorized routes.