New Delhi: A training aircraft was forced to land in an open field about 50 to 70 kilometers away from its destination Belagavi as it ran out of fuel on Sunday. Although the aircraft was damaged in the impact, the flight instructor and trainee pilot on board were both safe. Aviation authorities are investigating the incident. “The Cessna 172 (VT-EUC) aircraft of Red Bird Flying Training Institute, while on a cross-country flight from Kalaburagi to Belagavi, made an emergency landing near Vijayapura on Sunday due to suspected fuel shortage… DGCA/AAIB will conduct further investigation,” the Aviation Minister said in a statement. The aircraft was manufactured in 1975. The flight distance from Kalaburagi to Belagavi is shorter, about 300 kilometers. The inquiry will look into the cause of the plane’s fuel shortage. The Civil Aviation Administration of China briefly suspended Red Bird operations in October 2023 after a series of accidents, all of which were non-fatal. Operations resumed after detailed inspections by regulators. With a fleet of 48 aircraft, Redbird is one of the largest flight training schools in India.
