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Private mini aircraft crashes in Karnataka, both occupants eject out

Those who survived the accident were identified as Captain Kunal Malhotra, who is an Assistant Flight Instructor (AFI) at Redbird Aviation, and trainee pilot Goutham Sankar P R

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Press Trust of India Vijayapura (Karnataka)

1 min read Last Updated : Feb 08 2026 | 6:06 PM IST

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Two people, including the pilot, had a narrow escape when a private mini aircraft crashed into an open field in the district on Sunday afternoon, police sources said.

The two-seater aircraft belonging to Redbird Aviation in Kalaburagi crashed at Mangaluru village in Babaleshwar Taluk of Vijayapura district, they said.

Both the occupants ejected before it crashed, sources said, adding the aircraft broke into three pieces.

Those who survived the accident were identified as Captain Kunal Malhotra, who is an Assistant Flight Instructor (AFI) at Redbird Aviation, and trainee pilot Goutham Sankar P R.

The duo sustained injuries and was rushed to a hospital, they added.

It is said that the training aircraft was flying from Kalaburagi to Belagavi, though more details are awaited.

A civil aviation ministry spokesperson said, "Redbird Flying Training Academy Limited's Cessna 172 Aircraft, VT-EUC (MSN-17265717), made a forced landing in a field near Bagalkot, 100 km east of Belgavi Airport. It is reported that both the instructor and the cadet are safe.

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