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Training aircraft in Kanpur crash identified as Tecnam P2006T; two pilots killed

The aircraft involved in the August 27 crash near Kanpur has been identified as a Tecnam P2006T, with two pilots dead and an investigation underway.

2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 27, 2026, 5:15 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 27, 2026, 4:53 a.m. ETWritten Aug 27, 2026, 7:16 a.m. ET
The aircraft that crashed near on August 27, killing pilots, has been identified as a , according to siasat.com. The twin-engine, four-seater training aircraft was operated by , as reported by mangalorean.com and siasat.com, though newsx.com refers to the operator as . The aircraft's registration is , according to siasat.com. The crash occurred around 11:30 a.m. or 11:50 a.m., depending on the source, near Nathapurwa village in the Katri area along the banks of the Ganga. The fatalities were the instructor pilot, Sachin Bhatia, a resident of Gujarat, and trainee pilot Abhishek Pujari, from Karnataka, according to the reports. The instructor had about 3,000 hours of flying experience. The aircraft had been with Garg Aviation since 2023 and had no maintenance-related deficiencies, the company claimed. The cause of the crash has not been determined. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been reported to be investigating, with siasat.com reporting that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been informed and will undertake a detailed investigation, while newsx.com reports that a DGCA team will conduct a detailed investigation. Mangalorean.com reports that police and rescue teams cordoned off the crash site and launched an investigation. A seat was seen outside the wreckage, though officials have not confirmed whether the pilots attempted to escape.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 27, 2026, 5:15 a.m. ETFirst report

    Two pilots killed in training aircraft crash in Kanpur

    Two pilots were killed when a Tecnam training aircraft crashed in a field near Kanpur, India, on August 27, 2026, according to Mangalorean. The crash occurred around 11:50 a.m. local time. The aircraft, operated by Garg Aviation Training Centre, was a four-seater, twin-engine training aircraft with two people on board, both of whom died, the outlet reported.

    The pilot, identified as Sachin, was a resident of Gujarat and had logged more than 3,000 flying hours. The co-pilot, Abhishek Pujari, was from Karnataka, according to Mangalorean.

    The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating. Police and rescue teams cordoned off the crash site and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident, Mangalorean reported. The cause of the crash has not been determined.

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Reference data

From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.

Terrain elevation
430 ft
Nearest aerodrome
3.0 miles WNW of Kanpur Civil Airport (Old) (VIKA)

Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 127 Aug 2026, 11:16current

    First published.

  2. Version 127 Aug 2026, 09:15current

    First published.

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