What happened
On the evening of January 3, 2020, a Cessna 172 R aircraft, registration VT-CAF, was conducting a night cross-country training flight from Dhana to Mahoba and back. The flight was operated by Chimes Aviation Academy and carried a flight instructor and a student pilot.
As the flight progressed, visibility at Dhana Aerodrome deteriorated significantly due to fog. While the aircraft was on its return leg, air traffic controllers warned the crew of the dropping visibility and advised them to divert to Bhopal, where conditions were better. The crew initially attempted an approach to runway 35 but was forced to perform a missed approach after being unable to sight the runway. Despite further instructions to divert, the crew attempted a short-circuit approach to runway 17. During this maneuver, the aircraft drifted east of the runway, struck several trees, and crashed, resulting in two fatalities.