Chartered plane crashes in Mumbai; five dead

A chartered plane on a test flight today crashed in Ghatkopar area in Mumbai, killing five people. The aircraft crashed in Sarvodya Nagar of Ghatkopar area in Mumbai at around 1.30 pm, police said. The aircraft crashed onto an under-construction building called Jagruti.

"Five people have succumbed to injuries after the chartered plane crashed, including one pilot, three co-passengers and a pedestrian," a Mumbai police spokesman told AFP. Television images showed parts of the wreckage burning on the ground. Reasons behind the crash is not known.



The plane, a Beechcraft King Air C-90 turboprop aircraft, belonged to a charter company called UY Aviation. It was sold to the company by the Uttar Pradesh government in 2014.

Maharashtra has witnessed three fatal air crashes since the start of this year, in which a total of 14 lives were lost. On January 13, a Pawan Hans helicopter with seven people on-board crashed off the Mumbai coast minutes after it took off for ONGC's oil installation in the Arabian sea.

On April 26, an aircraft from the National Flying Training Institute (NFTI) crashed in the Wainganga river near Deori in Tiroda tehsil of Gondia district, eastern Maharashtra, killing two persons on board.

“The aircraft took off from Juhu airport for test flight. There were two pilots and two AMEs on board. All on board aircraft along with one person on ground are dead. Accident site is Ghatkopar, Mumbai,” said a statement from the aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a statement saying a team was on its way to the accident site for a preliminary investigation. A detailed one would follow.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has also asked officials to rush to the spot to assist in the relief operations. He has also asked the investigation authorities to ascertain the cause of the crash.

Police, fire brigade and disaster management teams rushed to the spot, Akhilesh Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-7) told PTI. Four fire engines have reached the spot, a BMC official said.

According to some reports, the aircraft belongs to Mumbai-based company, U Y Aviation.

(Inputs from Anirban Chowdhury, AFP & PTI)