Article Posted on : - Sep 09, 2008

HYDERABAD (BNS): A rookie pilot and his instructor were killed when a Cessna they were flying in crashed in a densely populated area of southern Indian city of Hyderabad on Monday.

The Cessna 152 was being flown by the trainee pilot, taking flying lessons from the Andhra Pradesh Aviation Academy, Hyderabad. He has been identified as P Srinath. The instructor, Neeraj Jain, was the co-pilot supervising the training sortie.

The aircraft crashed soon after taking off from Begumpet airport, the city's second airfield. It landed in a densely populated locality of Sanath Nagar West. It got entangled into an electric pole as the pilot tried to steer clear of population.

The tail of the aircraft was found on the roof of a house. A person was injured in the house where the plane landed. The local police said the aircraft caught fire soon after it crashed. The trainee pilot was charred beyond recognition and he died on the spot. The instructor was still breathing when the residents made an attempt to rescue him, but died while on his way to the hospital.

The academy officials said the same aircraft had made a safe landing earlier in the day. The academy claimed that the accident was a human error and dismissed any suggestion that the aircraft had technical defect. The Indian bureau of civil aviation security has begun inquiry into the accident.

Cessna 152, a single engine two-seater aircraft, is used the world over for training pilots. It comes with a fixed tricycle landing gear and is available dual control option. The aircraft is available with several modifications depending on the requirements. It is one of the most popular training aircraft with easy controls. The student pilots get their first licence on a Cessna as it teaches elementary flying before they move on to bigger and more complicated planes.