The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday said it derostered the flying instructor and grounded the aircraft after a trainee pilot was injured at Kanpur’s Chakeri airport during night instructional flying on Friday.
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“On 26.06.2026 Garg Aviation (FTO) twin engine Tecnam P2006T aircraft VT-NBV was engaged in night instructional flying at Kanpur (Chakeri) Airport. A flight instructor and a cadet were on board the aircraft. After landing, the trainee pilot deboarded the aircraft with the engine running. The cadet received injuries in her back due to being hit by the running propeller,” the civil aviation regulator said in a statement.
“She is admitted to a hospital in Kanpur. The involved instructor has been off rostered from the flying training duties pending investigation. Further, DGCA has directed for no utilisation of the aircraft involved in the occurrence pending investigation. DGCA is investigating the matter,” the DGCA said.
Captain Rajeev Bhalla, Garg aviation’s safety manager said, “We are in the process of establishing the precise sequence of events that led the trainee pilot to attempt to exit the aircraft before ensuring that both engines had been shut down… SOPs require that both engines must be completely shut down before any pilot exits the aircraft. This is one of the most fundamental safety practices taught from the very beginning of flight training.”
To be sure, the Tecnam P2006T aircraft manual states, “…Being the main door located in correspondence of the propeller disc, its operation is limited to the engine shut-down condition.
In fact, in order to prevent crew injuries, an electro-mechanical device locks the door latch when left engine runs. A pressure switch senses engine oil pressure and allows for electrical supply to a solenoid which engages the door lock mechanism. This prevents the latch opening when left engine runs but, if needed, the device can be also manually bypassed operating either from the door inside panel or from outside.”
When asked how the door could be opened, Bhalla told HT, “The student used the emergency override due to which the door could open, as per our internal investigation. She did not have a specific reason for doing the same. The incident took place around 8.40pm after which she was admitted to a nearby hospital.”
The student, who would have completed her flying training in a few days, will have to be off flying for at least a month, Bhalla said.
Industry insiders however raised questions on emergency override use. “If the student used the emergency, there should have been ample time for the instructor to act immediately and prevent the incident. CCTVs must reveal what went wrong,” a senior instructor requesting anonymity said.
To be sure, the DGCA, on January 30 last year, transferred its Director of Flight Training after it received complaints alleging that a Kanpur-based flight training organisation (FTO) Garg aviation, in collusion with officials, conducted operations with insufficient visibility, endangering trainee pilots and nearby commercial aircraft. This was done after the Association of Flight Training Organisations (AFTO) had written to the regulator highlighting alleged violations of rules compromising safety by the FTO.
