What happened
On the night of January 5, 2023, a Cessna 152 aircraft, registered as VT-PTE, was conducting night training exercises near the Rewa aerodrome in Madhya Pradesh. After completing several successful sorties, the crew—consisting of a Chief Flight Instructor and a student pilot—attempted an additional circuit landing.
During the approach, the crew was unable to locate the runway due to deteriorating visibility caused by dense fog. After an initial go-around, the instructor decided to divert the aircraft to Varanasi. However, upon attempting the diversion, the crew learned via ground communication that the Varanasi runway was closed due to a NOTAM. The instructor subsequently decided to return to Rewa to attempt another landing.
As the aircraft approached Rewa, the crew could not find the airfield visually. In an attempt to identify visual cues through the fog, the pilot continued to descend the aircraft. This resulted in a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) near Umari Village. The impact resulted in fatal injuries for the instructor and serious injuries for the student pilot. The aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
AAIB India's investigation revealed that the flight was conducted under conditions where visibility was well below the required minimums for Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The investigation established that the organization lacked a dedicated meteorological facility at Rewa, instead relying on averaged data from distant airports, which failed to reflect the localized fog at the airfield.
Investigators found that the crew became disoriented while searching for the runway. Furthermore, the investigation highlighted significant communication gaps; the ground-based student pilot was unable to effectively guide the aircraft, and there was a lack of coordination between the flight school and Varanasi Air Traffic Control regarding the runway closure.
Findings
- The primary cause was the pilot's loss of orientation and subsequent descent while searching for visual references in low visibility.
- Non-adherence to VFR minimums and the decision to continue night operations despite deteriorating weather.
- A lack of organizational preparedness for emergency diversions.
- Ineffective communication between the flight school and ATC regarding the Varanasi NOTAM.
- The absence of specific procedures for conducting night training at airfields lacking local meteorological services.