History of the Flight
On 21 November 2018, a Cessna 172R aircraft registered VT-RGC and operated by M/s Wings Aviation Pvt. Ltd. was involved in an accident at Mokila (Shankarpally) near Hyderabad during a solo cross-country training flight. The flight departed Begumpet Airport at 0537 UTC en route to Gobur, Karnataka. The student pilot, holder of a valid Student Pilot License, had completed preflight inspections and a negative breath analyzer test. After an uneventful takeoff, the aircraft was cleared by air traffic control to climb to 6500 feet.
While passing through 6300 feet, the engine began to vibrate. Within 3 to 4 seconds, the engine stopped and the propeller ceased rotating. The student pilot leveled the aircraft and attempted an engine restart, which was unsuccessful. An engine failure call was made to Shamshabad approach, but initially no response was received; a subsequent "May Day" call was acknowledged. The controller advised the pilot to return to Begumpet Airport and alerted the airport for an emergency. However, the pilot realized that the aircraft was losing altitude too quickly to cover the 18 nautical miles back to Begumpet, and instead began searching for a suitable landing field.
At 0600 UTC, the aircraft force-landed in a paddy field at Mokila. During the landing, the left wing struck a tree. The student pilot exited the aircraft through the left door without assistance. No fire occurred, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. An eyewitness reported that the propeller was not rotating at the time of impact, confirming the engine was not running.
Injuries and Damage
The student pilot sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. No other persons were on board, and there were no injuries to others on the ground. The aircraft was substantially damaged, with the left wing detached from forward fuselage fittings, leading edge smashed, ailerons damaged, and multiple structural components including the fuselage, tail section, and landing gear broken or buckled. The ELT activated upon impact but was later deactivated by company personnel.
Investigation and Probable Cause
The Director General, AAIB appointed an Investigator-in-Charge and an Investigator to determine the probable cause. The investigation included an engine strip examination, which revealed that the crankcase had fractured due to a broken connecting rod, leading to engine oil loss and subsequent engine seizure. The reason for the connecting rod failure could not be established. The aircraft's serviceability, crew qualifications, and weather conditions were examined and found to be within normal parameters.
The probable cause of the accident was identified as "Fracture of the crankcase due to breaking of connecting rod caused engine oil loss thereby causing engine seizure."