Trainee Pilot Killed as Training Aircraft Crashes in Gujarat's Amreli

Amreli, April 22 – A training aircraft operated by a private aviation academy crashed into a residential area in Amreli district, Gujarat, on Tuesday afternoon, resulting in the death of a trainee pilot. The accident occurred around 12:30 PM in the Giriya Road area of Amreli city, as per agency report.

The aircraft, which had taken off from Amreli Airport, first hit a tree and then fell onto an open plot of land, catching fire soon after impact. The pilot, who was alone in the aircraft during the training sortie, died on the spot, police officials confirmed.

Amreli Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kharat stated that the aircraft was part of a training fleet operated by a Delhi-based aviation academy functioning out of Amreli Airport. The cause of the crash remains unknown at this stage, and the local police have registered a case of accidental death and initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Following the crash, fire broke out, engulfing the aircraft in flames. Four fire brigade teams were dispatched to the site in the Shastrinagar locality to contain the blaze. Fire officer S.C. Gadhvi confirmed that despite the aircraft crashing within a residential area, no civilians were harmed due to the plane initially striking a tree and then landing in an empty plot.

The incident has raised concerns about flight safety and training operations in populated areas, and authorities are expected to conduct a detailed probe to determine what led to the crash.