NEW DELHI: The crash of a trainer aircraft near Hyderabad on Sunday could blow the lid off a thriving scandal at some Indian flying training schools. This flight was marked a solo training flight which the trainee was supposed to be flying as the sole occupant of the flying schools four-seater Cessna. But the unfortunate crash saw two pilots — a trainee pilot and another pilot (not a trainee) — on board lose their lives.
All trainees need to fly a small aircraft solo — with no one else on board — for some hours as part of their training to earn a pilot licence. However, many flying schools in India and in some other countries too either send two students; or a trainee and a trainer on flights that are earmarked as “solo” flights. While two students are sent on “solos” to save on training costs, sending a trainer along on a “solo” is done to ensure that the flying schools expensive plane is in safe hands and/or to give confidence to the trainee — both of which is plain illegal on what is supposed to be a solo flight.
This dark underbelly of Indian flying schools, a taint shared by schools of some other countries as well, was revealed in the Sunday crash of trainer Cessna 172 aircraft on the outskirts of Hyderabad during a training flight. Two pilots on board were killed in that crash of the aircraft belonging to Hyderabad-based Wings Aviation Pvt Ltd.
“(This) flight was authorised by deputy chief flight instructor (CFI), Captain Raunak Cyril of Wings Aviation Pvt Ltd. As per authorization book entry, the flight was to be operated by trainee pilot as sole occupant of the aircraft… it was the duty of deputy CFI (Dy CFI) to supervise and authorise the flying done by trainee captain… presence of another pilot indicates, the Dy CFI failed to perform his duties… lapse also raises serious concern about working of Wings Aviation. Trainee pilots are not sole occupants of flight which are logged as solo flights under regulatory provisions,” says a showcause notice issued by the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) to the flying school on Monday.
According to rules, “solo flight time” means flight time during which a pilot is the sole occupant of an aircraft.
Based at Hyderabads Begumpet airport, Wings Aviation has been asked to reply to the notice within a week, failing which the regulator will take ex-parte decision.
The DGCA has also withdrawn its approval given to Captain Raunak Cyril to be the Dy CFI of Wings Aviation for this lapse. The Cessna 172 was to be on a cross country flight from Begumpet with only the trainee pilot in the aircraft.
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