AAIB finds crash aircraft lacked voice and data recorders

It matters to citizens as it documents the loss of two lives, identifies safety compliance gaps in flight training oversight, and outlines interim recommendations to prevent future accidents.

Who it concerns: The report concerns M/s Garg Aviation Ltd. (the operator), the two deceased pilots (an instructor and a trainee), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and the general public regarding aviation safety standards in Kanpur.

What the investigators found

• The accident involved a Tecnam P2006T (VT-NBV) during a training flight for abnormal and emergency procedures, resulting in the deaths of both the instructor and the trainee pilot.
• The aircraft was destroyed upon impact at Natthu Purwa village near Ganga Barrage, Kanpur, approximately 4.85 NM northwest of the Civil Aerodrome; no fire occurred.
• The AAIB found that the operator (M/s Garg Aviation) did not comply with DGCA Flying Training Circular 01 of 2022 regarding the monitoring of flight data, as no records of monitoring were maintained and no Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) existed for it.
• The AAIB issued an interim safety recommendation directing the DGCA to issue strict directions to M/s Garg Aviation and other Flying Training Organizations (FTOs) to adhere to flight data monitoring requirements and to issue specific guidelines for such monitoring.
• The investigation is ongoing, with wreckage, engines, and Garmin data preserved for analysis, and accredited representatives from Italy (ANSV) and the USA (NTSB) participating.

Also in the document

• The aircraft was not equipped with a Cockpit Voice Recorder or a Digital Flight Data Recorder, but it was fitted with a Glass Cockpit (Garmin G950) that records flight data.
• Weather reports from Kanpur Airforce station on the day of the accident included warnings for thunderstorms, rain, mist, and poor visibility, with Cumulonimbus (CB) clouds reported in the vicinity.
• The flight was the first sortie of the day, and both pilots had tested negative for alcohol consumption prior to the flight.
• The Civil Aerodrome Kanpur is an uncontrolled aerodrome managed by AAI, where M/s Garg Aviation is currently the only operator based.