Bereaved family of trainee pilot Abhishek Pujari
Kanpur: The dream of becoming a pilot was just days away from becoming a reality for 28-year-old trainee pilot Abhishek Pujari when a crash shattered his family’s hopes. Having completed 190 hours of flight training, Abhishek had only 10 hours left to secure his pilot’s licence. His family was eagerly awaiting his return home as a certified pilot on Sept 2, but instead, they travelled to Kanpur to collect his body after he died in the crash. The family had spoken to Abhishek just a day before the crash, when he told them he would return on Sept 2.
His father, Prabhakar Raju Pujari, said the tragedy had destroyed both their aspirations and his son’s future. At the postmortem facility in Swaroop Nagar, the sight of Abhishek’s grieving family left those present deeply moved. His family was inconsolable upon seeing his body. Late Friday evening, Sachin’s family arrived in Kanpur from Vadodara, Gujarat, and his last rites were performed at Bhairav Ghat.
Abhishek’s bereaved family arrived in Kanpur from Panvel, Maharashtra , on Friday, visibly distressed.
Officials involved in the investigation said the exact cause of the crash would become clear only after the inquiry is completed. Meanwhile, teams from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have started their investigation. Early findings suggest that both men might have survived had the aircraft not struck the wall. The plane had gone out of control over Trans Ganga City, following which the pilot, using his presence of mind, chose an orchard near the Ganga for an emergency landing. However, the aircraft hit the cemented boundary wall of a farmhouse, was badly damaged and both occupants died. All these aspects are under investigation.