Light training aircraft Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP crashed in Pune District in Baramati, India. The accident happened shortly after takeoff in unknown circumstances. Following the crash, the trainee pilot was injured and transported to the local hospital for medical treatment.
Police identified the pilot as Siddharth Titus (30), who has sustained a severe injury on the right hand but is out of danger.
According to preliminary information, the aircraft Cessna 172 Skyhawk was flying at 3,500 feet when it developed a snag, which caused loss of height and crashing on the ground. Fortunately, there were no injured people on the ground.
The investigation for the root cause of the crash is under way.
Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft. The Cessna 172S was introduced in 1998 and is powered by a Lycoming IO-360-L2A producing 180 horsepower (134 kW). The maximum engine rpm was increased from 2,400 rpm to 2,700 rpm resulting in a 20 hp (15 kW) increase over the “R” model. As a result, the maximum takeoff weight was increased to 2,550 lb (1,157 kg). This model is marketed under the name Skyhawk SP, although the Type Certification data sheet specifies it is a 172S.
