Trainer aircraft of private firm crash-lands in Maharashtra's Baramati; pilot safe
Pune (PTI): A trainer aircraft of a private company made a crash landing near the Baramati airstrip in Maharashtra's Pune district after developing a technical snag on Wednesday morning, police said.
A trainee pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was safe, officials said.
The incident occurred near Gojubavi village near the Baramati airstrip at 8.50 am, said a police official.
The aircraft belonged to Redbird Flight Training Academy. The company said it had launched an investigation into the incident.
Aircraft from the same company had previously been involved in accidents in the district, officials said.
Notably, a private chartered plane belonging to another company, VSR Ventures, carrying then deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others, crashed near the Baramati airstrip on January 28, killing all persons on board.
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Talking about Wednesday's incident, Pune Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill told PTI, "As per eyewitnesses, the aircraft was flying at a comparatively low altitude when it developed a technical malfunction. During the crash landing, one side of the aircraft reportedly hit an electricity pole." Police rushed to the spot immediately after receiving information, he said.
"Necessary inquiry and further action are underway," the official added.
Redbird Flight Training Academy said in a statement that its aircraft, a Tecnam P2008JC with registration VT-RFY, was undertaking a solo flight, and the trainee pilot did not suffer any injuries.
"Necessary actions are being undertaken in coordination with the relevant authorities," it said.
Company sources said that the left wing tip, nose landing gear, prop and prop spinner of the aircraft suffered damage.
According to Directorate General of Civil Aviation sources, Redbird Tecnam 2008JC aircraft VT-RFY engaged in solo local sector flying at Baramati was involved in forced landing at Gojubovi. Officials have been sent to the site for investigation, they added.
On October 19, 2023, a pilot was injured when a trainer aircraft of the same company crashed near Katfal village in Baramati taluka.
On October 22, 2023, two persons were injured as another trainer aircraft belonging to the same academy crashed near Gojubavi village, close to Baramati.
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Private bus operators in Karnataka to hike fares by 20-30 pc after fuel price rise
Bengaluru (PTI): In the wake of the hike in fuel prices, private bus operators have decided to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, effective from Friday midnight.
They have also called for government subsidies, a reduction in cess, and lower road taxes to improve the situation.
"The situation for bus owners in the state is already distressing due to high road tax and the impact of the Shakti scheme (free bus travel for women in government buses). On top of this, fuel prices have increased," Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Association President S Nataraj Sharma said.
"This will impose a burden of Rs 15,000 per vehicle per month on bus owners. If an owner has three buses, the burden will be Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 per month," he added.
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Speaking to reporters, he said the situation has made it inevitable for owners to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, under current conditions.
The increase may be roughly Rs 200 per seat, he added.
"For example, the current bus fare from Bengaluru to Belagavi is around Rs 1,000–Rs 1,200, which is likely to rise to Rs 1,350–Rs 1,400. Similarly, fares from Bengaluru to Mangaluru or Udupi currently range from Rs 900–Rs 1,000 and are expected to go up to Rs 1,100–Rs 1,200," he said.
Petrol and diesel prices were each hiked by Rs 3 per litre on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses for fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
The increase comes a couple of weeks after the Assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
