Training Aircraft Crashes in Karnataka's Vijayapura; Pilot, Trainee Safe

• A private two-seater Cessna 172 training aircraft, VT-EUC, belonging to Redbird Flight Training Academy, made a forced landing in an open field in Vijayapura, Karnataka.
• The incident occurred on Sunday (February 8) afternoon during a cross-country training flight from Kalaburagi to Belagavi.
• Pilot Captain Kunal Malhotra and trainee pilot Goutham Sankar P R sustained minor injuries but are safe after the crash, which is suspected to be due to fuel starvation.
• The aircraft, manufactured in 1975, was damaged and broke into multiple pieces; a probe has been ordered by DGCA and AAIB.
• Redbird Flight Training Academy confirmed the incident, stated full cooperation with authorities, and reinforced pre-flight inspection and fuel verification procedures.