On Sunday evening, an aircraft at Bengaluru's Jakkur Aerodrome collapsed during landing while engaged in a local sortie. Cheryl Ann Stearns, an internationally famous competitive skydiving champion, was on board the plane and suffered minor injuries, but pilot Capt Akash Jaiswal remained unharmed. The disaster might have been caused by a flock of birds and dogs on the runway at the moment of landing.
According to a credible source, the Cessna 185 aircraft (VT - ETU) belonged to Agni Aviation Private Limited, and the incident happened on runway 08 at 5.42 pm.
Another person added, "It was a tailwheel aircraft that swerved to the left on the runway and toppled."
Stearns, a native of the United States, was training Capt Jaiswal on how to make a diving pattern in the sky. "Those on board spotted a flock of birds and a few dogs on the runway after the jet touched down and during the roll out. They have no recollection of what transpired after that because the plane had crashed "According to a person acquainted with the situation, Captain Jaiswal, he noted, is an experienced pilot.
The aircraft has incurred significant damage. Since Sunday, a team from the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, has been conducting investigations. On Monday afternoon, another team is due to arrive at the scene to investigate the accident.
