Red Bird trainer aircraft 'runs out of fuel' & lands in field; both onboard safe

NEW DELHI: “Suspected fuel starvation” — running out of fuel — reportedly caused a Red Bird training aircraft to force land in an open field about to 50 to 70 km before its destination, Belagavi, on Sunday. Luckily, both the flight instructor and student pilot on board the Cessna 172 aircraft (VT-EUC) are safe. The aircraft is damaged. Aviation authorities are probing this accident.

The aviation minister said in a statement: “Redbird Flight Training Academy’s Cessna 172 aircraft while operating a cross country flight (from) Kalaburagi to Belagavi was involved in forced landing in an open field near Vijayapura Sunday due to suspected fuel starvation experienced by the aircraft. The site of forced landing is 50 to 70 km from Belagavi Airport. There were two persons on board, a flight instructor and a trainee pilot. Both the occupants of the aircraft are safe. Due to impact aircraft is damaged… Further investigation will be carried out by DGCA/AAIB.”

Red Bird’s operations were briefly stopped by the DGCA in October 2023 after a series of mishaps (luckily all of them non fatal). Its operations resumed after the regulator conducted detailed checks. With 48 aircraft in its fleet, it is one of India’s biggest flying training school.

The aircraft that reportedly ran out of fuel on Sunday was built in 1975. At about 300 km, Kalaburagi to Belagavi is a short sector and why the plane reportedly ran out of fuel is something that at the probe will look at.

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