Flying enthusiast Ramesh Rao’s death row: Is it pilot error or engine failure? opinion differs

BENGALURU: The micro-light aircraft accident that claimed the life of citybased ad professional Ramesh Rao (54) has come as a big shock to flying enthusiasts and pilots who are analysing the probable causes of the tragedy in Virajpet on Saturday.

Veteran flyer, Air Marshal (rtd) BK Pandey, who has flown transport planes and jets, felt the crash may have occurred after the aircraft hit an obstruction or due to power failure of the engine. There are other theories as well. "It looks like by the time Rao decided to land, he had already covered half the runway. He would not have been able to land then. Hence he might have decided to take off again, causing the electric cables to be entangled leading to the mishap", said Capt. Madhurima Mukherjee, assistant flight instructor, Government Flying Training School (GFTS).

Rao was flying the aircraft himself and the aircraft crashed while landing. Since the aircraft had no faults, it was probably the pilot's error in judgment - on taking off late - that caused the mishap, she added. The pilot who was with him at the time survived with serious injuries. (It is mandatory that a licensed pilot be seated next to amateurs.) Rao, who owned the aircraft that crashed, had registered as a student at the GFTS for getting a private pilot licence (PPL) this year.

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