The small plane was being used for a solo flight.
An aircraft used for training purposes flipped over at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport on Wednesday. The pilot did not sustain any injury and was able to escape. Photos from the scene show the aircraft lying on the ground after it overturned. The incident took place at 11.36am at Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy when the plane veered off from the runway while taking off. The ground staff at the airport immediately rushed to the rescue of the pilot and he was safely pulled out.
The Cessna 172R plane was being used for a solo flight. In a release, the Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy said that the plane was between taxiways B and C at Runway 32 when the incident happened. “Pilot was immediately rescued by Thiruvananthapuram International Airport ARFF team within minutes of the incident,” it added.
The operations at the airport were stopped briefly and resumed after an hour, at 12.36pm, according to the academy’s release. The staff members at Thiruvananthapuram airport cordoned off the site and even took steps to prevent the aircraft from catching fire, the release said.
The aircraft, meanwhile, has been damaged after ploughing through the open field near the runway.
The pilot has been identified as 34-year-old Anoop Nair, who was rushed to a nearby hospital after the accident and his condition is said to be stable.
Authorities later said that three commercial flights were delayed due to the closure of the runway.
An inquiry has been initiated to find the cause of the accident and the authorities will submit a report to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
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