Lucknow: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had flagged safety concerns involving Tecnam aircraft more than a month before a Tecnam P2006T training aircraft crashed in Kanpur on August 27, killing a trainee pilot and an instructor.
The aviation regulator had also issued safety recommendations to flying training organisations (FTOs) operating Tecnam aircraft and directed them to implement the measures with immediate effect.
According to official communications accessed and reviewed by PTI, the DGCA had raised concerns regarding Tecnam aircraft at least twice since 2025. The aircraft are widely used in India for flying training.
The latest communication, dated July 10, 2026, circulated safety recommendations issued by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) following the May 12, 2022 crash of a twin-engine Tecnam P2006T operated by FSTC Flying School Pvt Ltd at Bhiwani in Haryana.
DGCA issues safety recommendations
In its July 10 communication, the DGCA advised flying training organisations to avoid keeping Tecnam aircraft parked on aprons or tarmacs for prolonged periods during the summer before commencing training flights.
The regulator also stressed the importance of providing greater emphasis on emergency-handling training, particularly during critical phases of flight involving Tecnam aircraft.
The DGCA further directed FTOs to revise their checklists so that they explicitly include all emergency-response actions recommended by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
The communication was based on the final investigation report into the 2022 Bhiwani accident. The DGCA said the report was available on the AAIB website.
The recommendations were circulated to FTOs as part of the regulator’s efforts to address safety issues identified during the investigation.
Earlier feedback sought on Tecnam aircraft
The DGCA had raised concerns about Tecnam aircraft even before the latest safety recommendations.
A civil aviation source told PTI that the regulator had earlier sought feedback from FTOs regarding the operational performance of Tecnam aircraft.
A reminder was issued on August 4, 2025, with the subject line referring to a feedback checklist for the operational assessment of general aviation aircraft performance, specifically Tecnam aircraft.
The reminder referred to an earlier communication seeking responses from flying training organisations through the feedback checklist.
The communications indicate that the regulator had been seeking information regarding the operational performance of Tecnam aircraft before the latest Kanpur accident.
Flying instructor raises concerns
A flying instructor, speaking to PTI on condition of anonymity, said several instructors had experienced difficulties with Tecnam aircraft.
The instructor compared the aircraft with Diamond and Cessna planes, which have traditionally been used extensively for flying training and have established records concerning reliability, maintenance and airworthiness.
According to the instructor, Tecnam aircraft have become increasingly popular because of their affordability, but concerns remain regarding their operation.
The instructor said the issues were not limited to a particular variant and claimed that both single-engine and multi-engine Tecnam aircraft had faced concerns.
The instructor also alleged that incidents involving the aircraft were not always clearly reflected in available records.
Call for temporary grounding
Referring to the 2022 Bhiwani crash and the subsequent AAIB investigation, the instructor said the findings highlighted difficulties associated with operating Tecnam aircraft.
The instructor suggested that the DGCA should consider temporarily grounding Tecnam aircraft and permit flying training organisations to operate them only after their safety and airworthiness had been comprehensively assessed.
Such a measure, if considered by the regulator, would represent a significant step and would require a detailed assessment of the aircraft type, maintenance standards, operational history and safety records.
However, the DGCA’s investigation into the latest Kanpur accident will be important in determining whether the crash was linked to technical, operational or human factors.
Kanpur crash kills two
The latest incident involved a Tecnam P2006T operated by Garg Aviation.
The aircraft, bearing registration VT-NBV, took off from Kanpur Civil Airport at around 11.30 am on August 27. It crashed approximately 20 minutes later near Nathapurwa village in the Katri area along the Ganga.
Instructor Sachin Bhatia and trainee pilot Abhishek Pujari were killed in the crash.
Pujari was from Udupi district in Karnataka, while Bhatia was an experienced flying instructor.
The accident has brought renewed attention to the safety of Tecnam aircraft used by flying training organisations, particularly in light of the safety recommendations issued by the DGCA only weeks earlier.
Wreckage prompts questions
The flying instructor who spoke to PTI also commented on images of the wreckage that circulated on social media after the crash.
The instructor described Bhatia as an experienced pilot and said the condition of the wreckage appeared unusual.
The instructor compared the damage with the 2022 Bhiwani accident involving the same aircraft type, noting that the damage in the earlier crash had reportedly been less severe.
However, the appearance of aircraft wreckage alone cannot establish the cause of an accident. Investigators will need to examine physical evidence, flight data and technical records before determining what happened during the flight.
AAIB to conduct detailed investigation
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has said that the AAIB will conduct a detailed investigation into the Kanpur accident.
A three-member DGCA team will provide regulatory oversight and coordination during the investigation.
The probe is expected to examine several aspects of the aircraft and the flight, including maintenance and airworthiness records, total flying hours, aircraft age and engine operating limits.
Investigators are also expected to assess whether technical or human factors contributed to the crash.
The investigation will be particularly significant given the DGCA’s earlier safety communications concerning Tecnam aircraft and the recommendations issued following the Bhiwani accident.
Garg Aviation denies maintenance deficiencies
Following the accident, Garg Aviation said that the aircraft had no maintenance-related deficiencies.
The statement places greater importance on the ongoing investigation, which will have to establish whether any technical issue, operational factor, environmental condition or human factor played a role in the crash.
The findings of the AAIB investigation could determine whether additional regulatory measures are required for Tecnam aircraft operating in India’s flying training sector.
The Kanpur crash has therefore raised questions about the effectiveness of existing safety measures and the need for continued monitoring of aircraft used for pilot training. With the AAIB investigation under way and DGCA providing regulatory oversight, the final findings are expected to provide clarity on the circumstances that led to the accident and whether further safety action is warranted.