Accident Details
On 21 January 2022, at approximately 14:46 UTC, a Cessna 172 S aircraft, registration VT-AMU, operated by M/s Pioneer Flying Academy Private Limited, crashed in an agricultural field near Aligarh Aerodrome, Uttar Pradesh, India. The aircraft was conducting a night cross-country training flight on the route Aligarh–Ramnagar–Aligarh. The flight was the third of three authorized night cross-country flights that evening.
Flight Crew
The pilot-in-command was a flying instructor holding a valid Commercial Pilot License with over 2,400 hours of flying experience. A student pilot with 177 hours and 50 minutes of flying experience was also on board.
Flight History
The aircraft took off from Aligarh Aerodrome at 13:05 UTC. According to crew statements, the outbound leg and en route portions were uneventful, with all checkpoints visible. On the return leg, the crew joined the left downwind for Runway 29. During the final approach, at approximately 400 feet altitude, they encountered a thick layer of smoke. The crew descended past the smoke layer to sight the runway. At around 300 feet, they encountered dense smoke and decided to execute a go-around. Full power was applied, but the crew became disoriented (somatogravic disorientation) due to loss of outside visual references. The aircraft impacted the ground in an agricultural field approximately 1,340 meters from the threshold of Runway 29. The aircraft overturned before coming to a stop.
Injuries and Damage
Both crew members sustained minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Meteorological and Operational Factors
The Aligarh Aerodrome is an uncontrolled airfield with no air traffic control or meteorological services. The Chief Flight Instructor of the flying training organization assessed visibility as 3.5 kilometers using a local visibility chart. The flight plan for VT-AMU was filed under Instrument Flight Rules. The preceding two aircraft on similar cross-country flights also encountered weather but landed safely.
Emergency Response
After the crash, the crew de-energized the aircraft and exited through the left window. The pilot-in-command informed the Chief Flight Instructor by mobile phone. The off-base accident plan as per the training procedure manual was not activated by the organization.