Latest news with #Cessna152
News18
3 days ago
- General
- News18
Pune Girl Survived A Plane Crash At 1,000 Feet. Now She's A Licensed Commercial Pilot
Last Updated: Two years after a mid-air engine failure, Bhavika Rathod is now a certified commercial aviator, showcasing her resilience and determination from trainee to licensed pilot Two years ago, a terrifying mid-air engine failure nearly ended 24-year-old Bhavika Rathod's dream of becoming a pilot. Today, she's a certified commercial aviator, proof that grit can sometimes be stronger than gravity. On July 25, 2022, Bhavika, then a trainee at Carver Aviation Flying School in Baramati, Pune, took off on what was supposed to be a routine cross-country flight. It was a milestone she had long awaited. Having logged 150 hours out of the 200 required to earn her Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), the finish line was in sight. But just 15 nautical miles into the flight, flying at an altitude of 1,000 feet in a Cessna 152, the aircraft's engine suddenly cut out. 'I heard the sputter, and then there was silence…" Bhavika recalled, adding that her heart had 'stopped for a second", but her training didn't. With no chance to return to the airstrip and precious seconds slipping away, Bhavika scanned the landscape and spotted a patch of wet land near Kadbanwadi village in Indapur. Remembering her instructors' guidance that such terrain reduced friction and improved crash-landing outcomes, she maneuvered the powerless aircraft and brought it down safely. The plane landed just 100 feet from a residential area; miraculously, no one on the ground was hurt. Bhavika escaped with only minor injuries. But what followed wasn't just a physical recovery but psychological too. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) launched an enquiry during which Bhavika was subjected to intense questioning for three days before being placed on a mandatory 'cooling-off" period, temporarily grounding her from further flying. She almost did. For two months, Bhavika contemplated giving up aviation altogether and enrolling in a BBA course to join her family's business. But her family had other plans. 'They refused to let me quit," she said, adding that her parents and friends practically staged an intervention which reminded her why she started. In December 2022, five months after the crash, Bhavika received a no-objection certificate for corrective training. The following month, she returned to Carver Aviation. 'The first takeoff after returning was the hardest," she said. 'It was the same runway. Same aircraft. Same sky. But this time, I had more fear… and more determination," she explained. By September 2023, Bhavika's comeback was complete after she received her official Commercial Pilot Licence. Since then, she's completed a 45-day type rating course for the Airbus A320 in Spain. Now, she's eyeing the skies again; this time as a first officer for a major airline, with dreams of eventually commanding the mighty Airbus A380. Raised in the working-class neighbourhood of Swargate in Pune, Bhavika studied at Muktangan English School. Her passion for aviation was ignited by a visiting pilot during a school lecture. After finishing Class 12 in 2019, she enrolled in flight school despite pandemic-related setbacks. view comments First Published: July 03, 2025, 18:11 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New York Post
10-07-2025
- General
- New York Post
Two student pilots killed in mid-air crash during lesson: ‘We don't understand how they could get so close'
Two student pilots were killed when they crashed mid-air while training at a flying school in Canada. The beginners' single-engine planes collided in southern Manitoba Tuesday morning while practicing takeoffs and landings with Harv's Air flying school — which was under investigation earlier this year when a student was seriously injured by a propeller, according to the CBC. They were identified as Sreehari Sukesh, an Indian national, and Savanna May Royes, a 20-year-old Canadian trying to follow in her father's footsteps by becoming a pilot. 'We don't understand how they could get so close together. We'll have to wait for the investigation,' said Adam Penner, president of the flying school where both students were training to become commercial pilots. 'We're devastated.' The students' bodies were pulled from the wreckage of the planes — a four-seater Cessna 172 and a two-seater Cessna 152 — after the crash at around 8:45 a.m. in rural Hanover, officials said. 4 Savanna May Royes, 20, was trying to follow her father by becoming a professional Patricia Lazarus / Facebook 4 Sreehari Sukesh, an Indian national, was also killed in the crash, Indian officials confirmed. @SreehariSukesh / X One pilot was just a couple of months into training, while the other nearly had a commercial licence, Penner said, without identifying which student was which. There were no passengers onboard. Royes' grieving family described her as 'the essence of pure joy' who was chasing her lifelong goal of becoming a professional pilot, like her father. 'Savanna's faith and laughter will forever touch everyone who was lucky enough to have known her, during her short life,' the family said. India's consulate general in Toronto identified Sukesh as the other victim, without providing his age or other biographical details. 'We extend our deepest condolences to his family,' the consulate said in a social media post. 'The Consulate is in contact with the bereaved family, the pilot training school and local police to provide all necessary assistance.' 4 The planes collided while approaching an airstrip in southern Manitoba. Harv's Air Flight Training / Facebook 4 Royes wanted to become a pilot like her father, family members said. Loraine Royes / Facebook Canada's Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. The agency probed Harv's Air Service earlier this year following an incident at St. Andrew's Airport north of Winnipeg in which an employee suffered 'serious injuries' from a small aircraft propeller while helping a student start the plane, according to the CBC. Penner said the flight school has been operating since the 1970s and trains about 400 students per year from all around the world for recreational and professional pilots' licenses. Students typically receive one-on-one with an instructor — and it's normal for them to fly solo during their training, he said. 'It's been a shocking morning,' Mohamed Shahin, an instructor at Harv's Air and former student told the CBC. 'Really heartbreaking, and we feel really sad for the parents of the students we lost.'
Time of India
10-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Aspiring Kochi pilot's life cut short in Canada plane crash
1 2 Kochi: Dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood, Sreehari Sukesh used to surf the internet for the adventurous flying experiences of professional pilots and the operational details of warplanes. He strived earnestly towards his goal and obtained a licence to fly private aircraft from Nashik by the time he left for Canada two years ago to pursue advanced training in commercial aviation. He was close to completing the mandatory 180 flying hours at Harv's Air flight training school in Steinbach when fate dashed his hopes and cut short his life. The 23-year-old, hailing from Tripunithura in Ernakulam, was among the two — the other a fellow student of the same flying school — who lost their lives after their training aircraft collided mid-air while trying to land near Steinbach South Airport, about 60km south of Winnipeg, in Canada on Tuesday morning. Sreehari and Canadian May Royce, 20, reportedly were flying single-engine aircraft. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Manitoba confirmed that "the mid-air collision occurred at 8.45am and the two pilots were pronounced deceased on scene." "The incident occurred during a training exercise for take-offs and landings, in which it is not uncommon for students to fly on their own. The pilots were trying to land their planes — a Cessna 172 and Cessna 152 — at the same time, before they crashed near a landing strip," Harv's Air owner Adam Penner told reporters. Sreehari's family received the information regarding the accident on Tuesday night but the official confirmation from his trainer arrived only by Wednesday afternoon. "Since we are unfamiliar with the technical aspects of the training, we still don't know what exactly led to the accident," said Sreehari's uncle Dipesh. Dipesh said the "experience at the Nashik flying school had thrilled Sreehari" while his schoolmate Gokul K said "his basic nature was to face adventurous moments with extraordinary boldness." The Indian consulate in Canada promised assistance to Sreehari's family. "With profound sorrow, we mourn the tragic passing of Sreehari Sukesh, a young Indian student pilot, who lost his life in a mid-air collision near Steinbach, Manitoba. We extend our deepest condolences to his family. The consulate is in contact with the bereaved family, the pilot training school, and local police to provide all necessary assistance," the consulate said in an X post. Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden has approached the ministry of external affairs demanding urgent intervention for the repatriation of Sreehari's mortal remains. Sreehari is survived by his father Sukesh, mother Deepa and sister Samyuktha.
Hindustan Times
10-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Indian among 2 student pilots killed in Canada mid-air collision
Toronto: One of the two student pilots killed in a mid-air collision in Canada on Tuesday has been identified as an Indian citizen, originally from Kerala. A Canadian flag flies during the Canada Day Celebrations in the Old Port in Montreal, Quebec. (AFP) The tragedy occurred early on Tuesday when two single-engine planes collided at a flight school in Steinbach, in the province of Manitoba. On Wednesday, India's Consulate General in Toronto identified one of them as Sreehari Sukesh. In a post on X, the Consulate said, 'With profound sorrow, we mourn the tragic passing of Mr. Sreehari Sukesh, a young Indian student pilot, who lost his life in a mid-air collision near Steinbach, Manitoba.' 'We extend our deepest condolences to his family. The Consulate is in contact with the bereaved family, the pilot training school and local police to provide all necessary assistance,' it added. According to his Facebook profile, which has been locked, Sukesh was originally from Tripunithura in Kerala and studied in Kochi prior to moving to Canada. He was residing in Steinbach which is about 50km from Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba. He described himself as a private pilot and featured the quote, 'Once you have tasted flight nothing else will stop you.' On July 8, at 8.45am, the Steinbach detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was notified of a two-plane mid-air collision in the Rural Municipality of Hanover. 'The two pilots were pronounced deceased on scene. There were no passengers aboard,' police said in a statement. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the mishap. The other victim was identified as Savanna May Royes by Canadian media. Both student pilots were training at Harv's Air, a private flight school. They were practising takeoffs and landings. According to the outlet CTV News, citing Adam Penner, one of the owners of Harv's Air, they were attempting to land the two planes at the same time leading to the collision. The aircraft involved were a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 172, Penner told the outlet.
Scottish Sun
10-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Female student pilot, 20, killed in mid-air crash as two planes smash into each other while trying to land
Officials are still probing how the collision happened PLANE HORROR Female student pilot, 20, killed in mid-air crash as two planes smash into each other while trying to land Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A STUDENT pilot has been killed after the plane she was flying collided with another aircraft while they were trying to land. Locals heard 'bangs' and saw plumes of thick black smoke following the horror collision in Manitoba, Canada, on Tuesday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Savanna May Royes, 20, was killed while trying to land a plane Credit: Facebook 2 She was about to receive her full pilot's license Credit: Facebook Savanna May Royes, 20, was at the controls of one plane when it collided with another. She and another student collided when both planes were coming into land at a local flying school. Savanna was about to receive her pilots license, a family friend posted on Facebook. Both pilots were pronounced dead at the scene. There were no one else on board the two planes - a four-seater Cessna 172, and a Cessna 152 aircraft, which has two seats. Officials at the flying school do not know how the collision happened. 'We don't understand how they could get so close together,' Adam Penner, its president, told CBC News. More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos. Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
