Daijiworld Media Network - Bhopal/Seoni

Bhopal/Seoni, Dec 8: A potential disaster was narrowly avoided in Seoni district, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday evening when a training aircraft nearly collided with a high-voltage power line before crashing near Sukatra village in the Kurai police station area.

The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m., causing panic among local residents, who rushed to the scene to help rescue both the pilot and trainee. A video of the crash quickly went viral on social media.

C.S. Tekam, Investigation Officer at Kurai Police Station, told reporters, “Both the trainer and trainee are out of danger and have been taken to a private hospital. One sustained a head injury, while the other has injuries on the face. Both were able to walk out of the plane safely, according to company officials.”

The aircraft, a two-seater training plane, had one of its wheels get caught in a 33kV high-tension wire, severing it from the tower before the plane safely touched down. No fatalities were reported. The pilot and trainee have been identified as Ajeet Anthony and Ashok Chhava.

Preliminary investigation suggests a technical glitch caused the plane to descend unexpectedly. One of the wheels became entangled in the high-voltage line, producing sparks and a loud noise, which alarmed villagers. Authorities said the training company has been operating in the area since 2023.

Eyewitnesses said the quick action of locals helped prevent a more serious outcome. Some residents also claimed this was not the first incident, noting that training aircraft had overturned twice before while operating on the runway. They warned that a few more seconds stuck in the power lines could have led to a catastrophic accident.

Police are awaiting instructions from higher authorities to continue the investigation.