A trainee woman pilot was injured after being struck by an aircraft propeller during a night flying training session at Garg Aviation Flying Club in Kanpur. Following the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated an investigation, and the instructor overseeing the training has been removed from flight duties pending the inquiry.
The incident occurred on Friday night during a night flying training session at Garg Aviation Flying Club in the Cantonment area of Kanpur. Trainee pilot Riya Batra, a resident of Gurugram, began disembarking from the aircraft before the engine had completely shut down after a safe landing. She was struck by the rotating propeller and sustained injuries.
Flying club staff immediately shifted her to a private hospital in Sarvodaya Nagar, where she received treatment for injuries to her back and waist. According to doctors, her condition is stable and her health is improving.
After receiving information about the incident, a joint team from the DGCA's Lucknow and Delhi offices visited the flying club and began an investigation. Officials are examining the training procedure, safety protocols and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Operations of the aircraft involved have been suspended until the investigation is completed. The flight instructor supervising the training has also been removed from flight duties as a precautionary measure. The investigation continued on Monday, and further action will be decided after the final report is submitted.
Riya Batra had been training at Garg Aviation Flying Club for approximately one year. She had previously undergone flying training in Amritsar for some time. She had completed single-engine aircraft training and was currently undergoing training to fly twin-engine aircraft.
She had completed three hours of flying out of the prescribed 15-hour training requirement. On Friday night, she was conducting a routine night flying exercise with her instructor. According to the flying club, the aircraft had landed safely, but the incident occurred because she attempted to disembark before the engine had completely shut down.
Night flying training is considered a mandatory part of pilot training. During the programme, trainee pilots practise night-time flying, safe landings, runway visibility procedures and emergency handling under the supervision of an experienced flight instructor.
Under safety procedures, pilots are permitted to exit the aircraft only after the engine and propeller have come to a complete stop.
