2-seater plane force lands in Ahmedabad, pilots safe

Ahmedabad: A two-seater private plane belonging to an aviation training institute made an emergency landing on the outskirts of the city, following a technical snag. The plane suffered heavy damage, but both persons aboard escaped unhurt.
“The incident took place at around 9.25 am on Friday. The Cessna 152, a two-seater plane, made an emergency landing near Godrej Garden City, Charodi, 4 to 5 km nautical miles west of Ahmedabad Airport,” said Anuj Agarwal, director of the Ahmedabad airport.
The aircraft belongs to Ahmedabad Aviation & Aeronautics Limited (AAA), a flying training school in the city. Officials said the plane took off from Ahmedabad airport for a training session this morning, and had travelled around 15 nautical miles when there was a technical problem.
The pilot realised that the plane would not be able to make it to the airport, and hence he decided to make an emergency landing.
He found a suitable spot and safely landed the plane,” Colonel VK Nagar, general manager, AAA, said.
Trainee pilot Gayatri Sardeshpande and Captain Naresh Devjani, the instructor, escaped unhurt in the mishap.
Fire tenders and airport officials rushed to the spot following the incident, and rescued the two. Later in the day, a team of officials from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) arrived in the city to inspect the damaged aircraft.
15/05/10 Daily News & Analysis