After two crashes in 4 days, Redbird grounded

Mumbai: After two crash landings within four days at Baramati in Pune district, the Director General of Civil Aviation on Sunday indefinitely suspended flying training activities of Redbird Flight Training Academy at all its bases. DGCA has accordingly, suspended the operations of M/s Redbird Flight Training Academy at all their bases in the country.” The development came after an aircraft, Tecnam P2008 JC, crashed in Baramati on Sunday. DGCA has accordingly, suspended the operations of M/s Redbird Flight Training Academy at all their bases in the country.” After Sunday’s incident, Anil Gill, director of flying and training, DGCA, sent an email to Redbird academy, stating, “This is the fifth accident of your academy in the last six months pertaining to engine failure or any other maintenance related issue.” Vikram Dev Dutt, director general of DGCA, said that these occurrences indicate gaps in maintenance and operational elements. “In the second incident on Sunday, while climbing to a cleared altitude of 2,500 feet, the aircraft experienced loss of power.” The instructor discontinued the sortie and carried out the forced landing in a field at around 2 nautical miles from the airport, Dutt said, adding, “After the impact, the aircraft turned upside down.” With 24 aircraft, Redbird has bases at Baramati in Pune, Seoni in Madhya Pradesh, Ilabari in Assam, Belagavi and Gulbarga in Karnataka.