Private aircraft crashes in Karnataka, 2 injured

A private mini-aircraft crash in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district on Sunday afternoon left two people injured after they ejected safely before the aircraft hit the ground. The light two-seater aircraft was flying from Kalaburagi to Belagavi when it went down near Mangalur village in Babaleshwar taluk.

Police and emergency teams rushed to the crash site after the private aircraft went down in an open field. Both the pilot and the trainee on board were able to eject from the aircraft before impact, a rare occurrence in such light aviation accidents, and were later rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the incident. Initial reports indicate that the crash may have been triggered by an engine glitch while the training flight was underway, causing the pilot to take emergency evasive action. The aircraft broke into three pieces upon hitting the ground, but the effective ejection allowed both occupants to avoid more serious harm.

Police have registered the incident under Babaleshwar police station jurisdiction and said further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause. Aviation authorities and technical experts are expected to examine the wreckage and flight data to understand what led to the engine issue and subsequent crash.