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| Date: | Tuesday 20 August 2024 |
| Time: | c. 11:05 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 152 |
| Owner/operator: | Alchemist Aviation Pvt Ltd |
| Registration: | VT-TAJ |
| MSN: | 15284074 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Chandil Dam, near Jamshedpur -
 India
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Jamshedpur-Sonari Airport (IXW/VEJS) |
| Jamshedpur-Sonari Airport (IXW/VEJS) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB India |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On 20 Aug, 2024, one Cessna 152 aircraft, VT-TAJ, belonging to M/s Alchemist Aviation Pvt Ltd, took off from Sonari Aerodrome at approximately 0502 UTC to conduct a local sortie. According to the flight plan, the aircraft was scheduled to perform general flying within 5 Nm below 4500 feet from JJS.
On the day of accident, 03 other company aircraft were also rostered for training flights. Once all the 04-company aircraft departed from Jamshedpur, they joined the allotted altitude 2500 feet in sector North. Thereafter, as per the SOP, all company aircraft transmitted ‘OPS NORMAL’ call at 10-minute intervals. VT-TAJ also had given a positional call on R/T “320 radial and 8 Nm from JJS”.
At approximately 0605 UTC, Jamshedpur ATC transmitted METAR information of 0600 UTC. As per ATC, all other aircraft except VT-TAJ responded and gave a readback. Meanwhile, one training aircraft (VT-TEB) that had already established on finals carried out the landing at Sonari airport. Around the same time, aircraft VT-TSL belonging to M/s TATA Steel had also established R/T contact with Jamshedpur ATC and relayed its position “40 DME from JSS Altitude 035 ETA 0622”. Thereafter, several attempts were made to establish contact with aircraft VT-TAJ but no corresponding readback was received. To locate the aircraft VT-TAJ, aerial search was initiated by Tata Steel aircraft along with M/s Alchemist aircraft based on the last know position communicated by VT-TAJ. However, the aircraft could not be located, and it was declared missing. The concerned authorities were informed to launch the search and rescue activities.
On 25th Aug 2024, while carrying out the SAR operation in Chandil Dam, the Navy team, deployed for search and rescue, observed that the aircraft was lying in an inverted position at a depth of approximately 10 meters in the dam reservoir. Subsequently, on 26th Aug 2024, arrangements were made and aircraft was pulled out from the reservoir.
During initial assessment, major damage was observed at the nose section of the aircraft and, Nose landing gear was also found broken. In addition , other damages were also observed on both wings, the vertical fin, the rudder and the tail boom.
The aircraft VT-TAJ was manufactured in 1979 and had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness (CoA) as its ARC (No.2216) issued on 15.07.2024 was valid till 16.07.2025. According to the Certificate of Registration (CoR), the aircraft was owned and operated by M/s Alchemist Aviation Private Limited. The last scheduled inspection, a 50 hour check was carried out on 19.08.2024 at 16124:40 A/F Hrs. The aircraft was equipped with a Lycoming Engine. Before the accident flight, the aircraft had accumulated 16128:40 A/F hours while the engine had 1840:55 hours (TSO).
Crew held valid licenses and were meeting the requirements to perform the training flight.
As per the METAR, the weather conditions were conducive to undertake training flight.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/Aug/21/plane-crashlands-in-jamshedpur-2-pilots-go-missing
https://avenuemail.in/two-pilots-go-missing-after-training-plane-crashes-in-jamshedpur/
AAIB INDIA
https://photos.flightaware.com/photos/retriever/375e200a5b066fe09bc5c651a7b13f067ec86ccd (photo)
History of this aircraft
Ex N5252H
Location
Media:
Jamshedpur based flying training school Alchemist Aviation’s aircraft missing since morning with a trainee and instructor onboard.
— Jagriti Chandra (@jagritichandra) August 20, 2024
VT-TAJ
Cessna 152
Departed Jamshedpur at 10:00 IST
Vanished off Ranchi Radar
Suspected to have crashed
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Aug-2024 11:56 | gerard57 | Added |
| 20-Aug-2024 12:36 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 20-Aug-2024 13:36 | RobertMB | Updated [Registration, Source, ] |
| 21-Aug-2024 08:19 | Iceman | Updated [Registration, ] |
| 21-Aug-2024 08:20 | ASN | Updated [Source, ] |
| 21-Aug-2024 14:08 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Cn, Total fatalities, Location, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category, ] |
| 25-Sep-2024 17:38 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Location, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 26-Sep-2024 11:29 | ASN | Updated [Accident report, ] |
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