‘At 1,000 feet above ground, the aircraft engines suddenly lost power': how a Pune pilot survived a crash, learnt to fly again
The morning of July 25, 2022, started like any other training day for Bhavika Rathod. The 24-year-old pilot trainee from Pune's Swargate had already completed 150 flying hours towards her commercial pilot licence. She was confident, attentive, and just 50 hours away from achieving her childhood dream. But at 11.30 am that day, everything changed in an instant.
A talk that ignited a desire
Bhavika studied in Pune's Muktangan English School, where a guest lecture by a pilot planted the first seeds of her aviation dreams. 'That lecture stayed with me throughout school,' Bhavika recalls. 'I kept thinking about what it would feel like to be up there, responsible for taking people safely to their destinations.'
'After completing Class 12 in 2019, I took my dream of becoming a pilot seriously and started searching for flying schools. The process got delayed due to the COVID-induced lockdown, and finally, in October 2021, I got into Carver Aviation flying school in Baramati,' she says.
To obtain a commercial pilot licence, one needs to complete 200 flying hours and clear six theory papers, which usually takes around two years. 'After completing 150 flying hours, it was a normal day for me. I took off from Baramati in a Cessna-152 aircraft for a routine cross-country flight,' Bhavika remembers. 'Just 15 nautical miles into the journey, at about 1,000 feet above ground, the aircraft engines suddenly lost power.'
With no option to return to the departure point, Bhavika's training kicked in. 'I spotted a slightly moist patch of farmland in Kadbanwadi village in Indapur, exactly what my instructors had taught me to look for to reduce landing drag,' she said.
In those terrifying moments between engine failure and ground contact, Bhavika managed to safely crash-land the aircraft. She survived with only minor scratches on her chin. No one on the ground was hurt, despite the plane crashing less than 100 feet from the nearest house.
'I was completely in shock,' she says. 'This is the worst thing that could happen in the flying sector. But by God's grace, I was alive.'
The crash led to a mandatory investigation by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). After three intense days of questioning, Bhavika was put on a cooling period – a mandatory break from flying that follows any aircraft accident.
'It was traumatising. I gradually lost confidence, hope, and courage to fly again,' she says. 'I started self-doubting and slowly faced depression. After two months, I decided to quit and pursue a BBA instead to join my family business.' Bhavika's near and dear ones, however, had other plans.
'My family and friends counselled me to help recover my self-belief. They helped me scrap my thoughts about ending my flying career,' she says. Five months after the accident, in December 2022, Bhavika received a no-objection certificate for corrective training, a period in which trainee pilots fly with instructors until they regain confidence to fly solo.
In January 2023, Bhavika walked back into Carver Aviation – saw the same corridors, the same runway where her dreams had once crashed. 'My colleagues and staff at the academy, particularly my instructor Captain Madhav Raj Singh, instilled confidence back in me,' she says.
The journey back was not easy. Every take-off brought back memories of that fateful day. In September 2023, Bhavika secured her official Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL).
'Social media became helpful for me,' she reveals. 'After getting my CPL, candidates who faced similar crashes contacted me asking how to tackle negative thoughts. I was able to help them because I had been through the same experience.'
'My message to all those who feel dejected in their life would be to remain courageous and never lose hope. This will definitely help them achieve their dreams,' she says.
Last year, Bhavika completed her type rating course, a specialised 45-day training programme on the Airbus 320 in Spain. Currently, she is preparing to join an aircraft carrier and has set her sights on an even bigger dream: flying an Airbus A380 someday.
Shubham Kurale is an intern with The Indian Express.
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