The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended the license of Belagavi Aviation and Sports Enterprises, a unit of Samvardhane Technologies Pvt Ltd, based in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, following an incident on August 11. The suspension was triggered after a Cessna 152 aircraft, registered as VT-BBB, crash-landed during a test flight due to engine failure.
The aircraft was on its first flight after undergoing maintenance, which included an engine overhaul at the DGCA-approved facility of M/s International Aircraft Sales Pvt. Ltd. in Bhopal. Due to serious safety concerns, the DGCA has also suspended the maintenance organization, effective immediately. A special audit conducted by the DGCA after the accident uncovered significant issues with the maintenance standards at the facility.
Previously, the DGCA had suspended operations at all locations of Red Bird Flight Training Academy Pvt. Ltd. after multiple incidents, only allowing them to resume following a comprehensive recertification of their maintenance facilities.
In a related event on August 20, another Cessna 152 trainer aircraft, operated by Alchemist Aviation Pvt. Ltd., went missing shortly after taking off from Sonari aerodrome in Jamshedpur. The aircraft lost contact with Jamshedpur Air Traffic Control and reportedly crashed into a dam reservoir around 15 to 20 minutes after departure, prompting a large-scale search for the missing instructor and trainee pilot.
