Teenager trainee pilot struck by plane's propeller at Kanpur airport, hospitalized

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a comprehensive investigation into a severe safety breach at Kanpur's Chakeri Airport, where a 13-year-old cadet pilot was grievously injured by a spinning propeller. The terrifying accident unfolded late Friday night during a scheduled night instructional flying sortie managed by Garg Aviation, a prominent local Flying Training Organisation (FTO). The flight involved a twin-engine Tecnam P2006T trainer aircraft, carrying an experienced flight instructor and the female trainee pilot on board.

According to official preliminary statements released by the regulatory watchdog, the critical lapse occurred immediately after the aircraft touched down and taxied to its bay. In a highly dangerous move that directly violates established aviation safety protocols, the young trainee pilot deboarded the trainer aircraft while the twin engines were kept actively running. While attempting to clear the immediate vicinity of the high-wing plane in the dark, she accidentally crossed paths with the rapidly rotating blade, resulting in severe lacerations and trauma to her back.

Emergency medical teams at the airfield rushed the bleeding cadet to a multi-specialty hospital in Kanpur, where she remains admitted under close medical supervision. Aviation industry insiders reveal that boarding and deboarding aircraft with live propellers is strictly prohibited under Indian civil aviation laws. However, sources allege that some domestic flight schools occasionally practice this hazardous "hot-swapping" technique to maximize operational efficiency, rapidly rotating trainees between sequential sorties without undergoing the mandatory engine cool-down and restart cycles.