Training aircraft makes hard landing at Solapur airport, pilot escapes unhurt

A trainee pilot escaped unhurt after a training aircraft operated by a private flying academy made a hard landing at Solapur airport, located in the Hotgi Road area, on Thursday afternoon, triggering an emergency response involving airport personnel, firefighters and local police

A trainee pilot escaped unhurt after a training aircraft operated by a private flying academy made a hard landing at Solapur airport, located in the Hotgi Road area, on Thursday afternoon, triggering an emergency response involving airport personnel, firefighters and local police. The impact caused the aircraft to veer off the paved runway onto an unpaved stretch.

. The Tecnam P-Mentor, an Italian-made single-engine light aircraft featuring a low-wing design and seating capacity for two, tilted to one side and remained stuck at an awkward angle. (HT PHOTO)

According to preliminary information, the aircraft, operated by a woman trainee pilot identified as Jyoti Tanwar, reportedly suffered damage to its front landing gear, which detached following the incident. The Tecnam P-Mentor, an Italian-made single-engine light aircraft featuring a low-wing design and seating capacity for two, tilted to one side and remained stuck at an awkward angle. Despite the impact, however, the trainee pilot escaped unhurt, averting a serious accident.

Karan Mann of Redbird Aviation Training Academy confirmed that the pilot was safe and that no one was injured in the incident. “The trainee was undertaking a solo cross-country flying exercise when the aircraft experienced a hard landing,” Mann said.

Following the incident, officials and ground staff from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), fire tenders, an ambulance and local police personnel rushed to the spot. Firefighters cordoned off the aircraft and assisted in safely evacuating the trainee pilot, while emergency personnel secured the surrounding area.

A senior AAI official at Solapur airport, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The airport emergency response mechanism was activated immediately after information about the incident was received. The aircraft will need examination to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Solapur district collector S. Karthikeyan said that a safety audit will be done today (November 13), and as the accident occurred on the runway, airport operations will remain closed till the audit is completed.

“We shifted the pilot to hospital immediately; a psychometric test will be conducted soon. The area has been cordoned off and the airport will be closed for all operations till the safety audit is completed,” Karthikeyan said.