Seoni (MP), May 30 (PTI): A trainer aircraft overturned while landing at Suktara airstrip in the district on Friday morning but its trainee woman pilot was safe, the police said.

The aircraft flipped over due to a faulty landing, said a police official.

The airstrip is 22 km from the Seoni district headquarters.

The trainee woman pilot who was flying the aircraft alone did not suffer any injuries, said the official.

While the airstrip is maintained by the Madhya Pradesh Public Works Department, it is used by Delhi-based Red Bird Aviation Company to run a pilot training school.

District collector Sanskriti Jain said the concerned department has been asked to conduct an inquiry, after which the exact cause of the accident will become clear.

Employees of the Red Bird Aviation Company emptied the fuel tank of the aircraft immediately after the incident. A major tragedy was averted as the aircraft did not catch fire during the crash-landing, said the police official.

Barghat Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Lalit Ghatre said the employees of Red Bird Aviation Company did not inform the police about the incident which took place under Kurai police station limits.

They informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's Bhopal office which in turn alerted the police. The police then contacted the company's airstrip manager Santosh Sanodia and obtained details, Ghatre said.

When contacted for his comments, Sanodia refused to speak.

Meanwhile, a DGCA team will soon reach Suktara airstrip and prepare a report after an inspection, the police official said.

According to preliminary information, the trainee pilot tried to land the aircraft with the front landing gear instead of the rear one, due to which the aircraft went out of control and overturned, officials said.

Flights of trainee aircraft from Suktara airstrip have been stopped for the time being, they added.

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Ahmedabad (PTI): Winless after six matches, time is running out for Kolkata Knight Riders playoff hopes but their embattled skipper Ajinkya Rahane has urged the side to "embrace tough phases, play with freedom, and focus on one game at a time".

Loss has been one constant for the three-time former champions this season as they endured a five-wicket loss against Gujarat Titans to slump to their fifth defeat from six matches with their solitary point coming courtesy a rain washout against Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens.

“It’s about accepting and embracing these tough days. Every day is a new day... trying to do better, playing with freedom, and backing each other," Rahane was at his philosophical best at the post-match media interaction here on Friday.

A minimum of seven wins is needed from a 10-team league to keep a team's playoff aspirations alive.

With eight matches to go and one point in their kitty, the task will be an improbable one for KKR from here on. 

'Nothing to lose'

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Rahane, however, said they have nothing to lose and it's all about playing with freedom.

“We’re thinking one game at a time. It’s tough when you lose games, but everyone is trying their best. No one wants to lose any match -- we all want to win -- but that’s what sport is all about... keep your heads up. For us, it’s about going out there, being positive, and playing with freedom. We’ve got nothing to lose.

“Let me tell you one thing: everyone is working really hard. For us, it’s all about playing for our fans and the people of Kolkata, and we’re trying to do our best.

"After each and every game, there’s discussion about how we can improve. Obviously, when you lose, you tend to think about combinations and the areas we can get better at, so the discussion is always on."

Rahane won a fourth toss from six matches this season, but his decision to bat first once again raised eyebrows. Even his counterpart Shubman Gill said at the toss he would have preferred to bowl, keeping the dew in mind.

The call backfired as KKR slipped to 32 for 3 in four overs before their Rs 25.20-crore acquisition Cameron Green bailed them out with his best innings for the franchise so far, a 79 off 55 balls.

“It’s never easy when things are not going your way, and the courage he showed was fantastic. All credit to him," Rahane said.

“Yes, as a batting team we were thinking about 200 on this wicket. It would have been challenging, but let’s not take anything away from his innings.

“Attacking Rashid Khan and their fast bowlers, he was fantastic tonight for us.” 

'Proud of bowlers'

The KKR skipper also admitted in the media interaction that there was a "bit of dew" but he hailed their inexperienced bowlers for taking the match till the final over.

From being 95/1 in nine overs in their chase of 181, GT were made to sweat with Jos Buttler, Washington Sunder, Glenn Phillilps and a well-set Gill falling against the run of play.

Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan eventually sealed the nervy chase with two balls to spare.

“Special mention to our bowling unit. It’s such an inexperienced attack with just two seniors in Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, but the kind of improvement they’ve shown, especially in the last three games, has been fantastic," said Rahane.

“Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora, and Anukul Roy have also been fantastic, bowling tough overs in the powerplay and picking up wickets.

“Our support staff is doing a great job of keeping the environment really good. It’s all about accepting, but we will keep trying our best.”