5 killed as plane crashes in Mumbai suburb

Five persons were killed when a 12-seater aircraft crashed in a crowded Mumbai suburb today, the second air mishap in Maharashtra in as many days.

Theose killed include two pilots and two aircraft maintenance engineers on board and a pedestrian in the Ghatkopar area where the plane crashed, police said.

The pilot and flight test engineer of a Sukhoi Su-30M aircraft of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had ejected safely after it crashed near Nashik yesterday.

The plane, which crashed in the Jagruti Nagar locality shortly after 1 pm today, once belonged to the Uttar Pradesh government and was sold to UY Aviation, an official said.

The King Air C90 12-seater aircraft had taken off from the Juhu airstrip on a test flight, he said.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct an investigation into the plane crash, an official said.

A team of DGCA officials rushed to the crash site for a preliminary investigation, the official said. It is expected that the detailed enquiry will be done by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), he added.

As reports of the crash came in, police, fire brigade and disaster management teams rushed to the spot and bodies of those killed were taken to the nearby Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar, a civic official said.

A fire brigade official said, "Our control room got a call at 1.15 pm informing a plane crash. Our jawans were immediately rushed at the site to launch the rescue operation. Four fire engines and as many water tankers were rushed to douse the fire that occurred after the plane crashed."