A twin-engine, four-seater training aircraft crashed in a field near the banks of the Ganges in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of both people on board. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the aircraft was carrying a trainee pilot and an instructor during a local training flight.

The two pilots were identified as Sachin Bhatia from Gujarat and Abhishek Pujari from Karnataka. Police said one of them was a trainee, while the other was an instructor.The aircraft was operating in the local flying area of Kanpur Civil Airport when the accident occurred, according to the DGCA. Officials said the aircraft lost control before crashing into a field near the Ganga.

Raghubir Lal, Police Commissioner of Kanpur Nagar, said officials had received information about the instructor's experience and estimated that he had around 3,000 hours of flying experience. He added that the DGCA had been informed and that its team would conduct an investigation.

The DGCA confirmed that two people were on board the aircraft and both sustained fatal injuries.

The aircraft involved in the crash was reportedly brought to the Garg Aviation training centre in 2023, according to officials.Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to the families of the two pilots following the accident.

For now, the priority remains establishing what happened during the short training flight and ensuring that the investigation is conducted thoroughly. The involvement of the DGCA and AAIB is expected to provide regulatory and technical oversight as authorities work to determine the precise cause of the accident.