A private training plane of Redbird Flight Training Academy fell in an untamed field in Vijayapura district, Karnataka on Sunday afternoon, February 8, 2026. The accident occurred near Mangaluru village, Babaleshwar taluk and concluded with a captain and trainee pilot injured as an engine failed en route, leading to an emergency landing.
Wreckage Concludes Safety Attempts at Landing
At approximately 3:30 p.m., the engine reportedly became “glitchy” or “starved,” and the pilots attempted a crash landing in a rural field.
The Details of the Crash
- Impact: Images taken at the site suggest that the aircraft had overturned and was shattered into 3 separate pieces. The most devastating impact was in the front area, landing the plane most severely.
- The Pilots: The passengers, Captain Kunal Malhotra, Assistant Flight Instructor (AFI), trainee pilot Goutham Sankar P R per the authorities.
- Survival: Police believes the pilots might have attempted to eject or brace for impact shortly before the plane landed. Both were critically hurt, but both were alert when the local residents gave them service.
A private training aircraft operated by Redbird Flight Training Academy makes a forced landing in a field near Vijayapura in #Karnataka. @MoCA_GoI informed that the aircraft made a forced landing following suspected fuel starvation.
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) February 8, 2026
It said that the flight instructor and a… pic.twitter.com/E0FUMs2Td1
Rescue and Investigation
The villagers were the first responders to the disaster site, aiding the injured pilots until an ambulance arrived. They were then sent to a hospital near Vijayapura where the pilots are currently being treated. Formal investigation has begun by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Still, initial accounts from the Ministry of Civil Aviation have suggested that the forced landing is possible due to “suspected fuel starvation.” It is despite the aircraft having a valid Airworthiness Review Certificate until August 2026.
A Pattern of Concern?
This incident underscores another safety worry for Redbird Aviation, which runs one of the country’s biggest training fleets. But the aircraft was a vintage model, built in 1975, and the maintenance protocols for aging trainer jets administered by Indian flight academies are in doubt.
Safety Update
The hospital reports that the two pilots are stable on Monday morning. The Babaleshwar Police swarm around the crash site as investigators scan flight logs and wreckage.
