The body of a trainee pilot, who was aboard a two-seater aircraft that went missing earlier this week, has been recovered from Chandil Dam. Officials confirmed the discovery on Thursday morning.
The aircraft, a Cessna 152 operated by a private flying school, disappeared shortly after taking off from Sonari Aerodrome on Tuesday morning. A large-scale search operation ensued, focusing on the dam’s reservoir where the aircraft was suspected to have crashed.
The body, identified as Subhrodeep Dutta, a trainee pilot from Adityapur in Seraikela-Kharsawan district, was found floating in the reservoir this morning. The search operation, which involved multiple agencies, intensified as the aircraft and pilot remained unaccounted for.
In addition to local rescue teams, a 19-member contingent from the Indian Navy, dispatched from Visakhapatnam, joined the search efforts. On Wednesday, a six-member team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) conducted an extensive search of the reservoir.
The last known location of the aircraft was reported near Nimdih in the Chandil sub-division, according to Air Traffic Control. The ongoing investigation aims to determine the cause of the crash and locate Captain Jeet Satru, 35, the missing pilot from Patna.
Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar Lunayat noted that villagers had reported seeing the aircraft crash into the reservoir, prompting the focused search in the area. East Singhbhum’s Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal reiterated the urgency of the search and recovery operation.