NEW DELHI: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary findings regarding the tragic crash of a Garg Aviation twin-engine trainer aircraft in Kanpur last month, which claimed the lives of a trainee pilot and an instructor. According to the initial report, the operator failed to comply with standard flight monitoring norms.

The fatal accident involving the Tecnam P2006T aircraft occurred around 11:30 AM on August 27. Investigators revealed that the aircraft made no distress call prior to the crash and was completely destroyed upon impact. Local residents alerted authorities via the emergency helpline 112, prompting police and ambulance teams to rush to the site. Both the instructor and the trainee pilot were rushed to a nearby hospital in Kanpur, where they were declared dead.

As part of its ongoing probe, the AAIB successfully extracted and analyzed data from the Garmin data card recovered from the aircraft's wreckage. Both engines have been retrieved, quarantined, and are undergoing detailed examination in coordination with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).

Furthermore, international aviation agencies—specifically Italy’s ANSV and the United States’ NTSB, alongside technical advisers from the aircraft manufacturer Tecnam—have appointed accredited representatives to join the investigation. The probe agency has also requested relevant crew and aircraft documents from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Highlighting systemic safety gaps, the AAIB has recommended that the DGCA formulate specific, mandatory guidelines and standardized procedures for Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) tailored for Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) across the country.