History of Flight
On 16 July 2021, Tecnam P2008JC aircraft VT-BRP, operated by M/s NMIMS Academy of Aviation, was scheduled for a dual cross-country training flight from Shirpur to overfly Shegaon and return. The aircraft had undergone daily inspection at 0410 UTC and was serviced with 80 litres of fuel and 3 litres of engine oil. After a local sortie with no reported abnormalities, an additional 20 litres of fuel was added before the training flight.
The student pilot reported at Shirpur airfield and passed a breath analyzer test at 0406 UTC. Weather at Shirpur was above minima, and en route conditions were assessed as conducive. Pre-flight inspection was completed around 0915 UTC, after which the flying instructor joined the student. Startup and taxi clearances were obtained from Shirpur Tower. ATC directed the aircraft to climb runway heading to 1600 feet, then turn right to intercept radial 108 and climb to FL90. The aircraft took off from runway 09 at 0930 UTC.
Communication and Diversion
As per standard operating procedures, the crew reported their position every 10 nautical miles. At approximately 10 Nm outbound, they reported climbing through 3500 feet for FL90. When the aircraft was about 18 Nm from Shirpur, the crew received a radio call from the Chief Flying Instructor (CFI), who was on another training flight in aircraft VT-MRP, advising them to set course back to Shirpur. The crew acknowledged and executed an air turn back while at around 20 Nm from Shirpur. No further communication was received from the crew.
Accident and Wreckage
Shortly after, the aircraft's Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) activated. The aircraft had crashed into a hill in the Satpura Jungle range near Vardi village, approximately 26 Nm from Shirpur and 8.4 Nm off the intended flight track. The aircraft was destroyed, but no fire occurred. The crash site coordinates were 21°17'37.9"N, 075°24'48.5"E.
Injuries and Damage
The instructor sustained fatal injuries, while the student pilot suffered serious injuries. The aircraft was completely destroyed. No other damage was reported.
Investigation
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) conducted the investigation. The occurrence was classified as a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).