Meerut, India: City businessman hit by plane on runway ,dies

A 40-year-old Delhi-based businessman was killed on Saturday at the Partapur air strip here after being hit by a microlite plane he owned as he clicked its pictures. Police said the plane - VT-UAG - belonged to consultancy firm owner Mukesh Garg, the victim. 

Official sources said the government-owned BR Ambedkar air strip was not used for commercial purposes and was used off and on for joy rides by businessmen and real estate owners whose small planes were parked in the hangar, some 70 km from Delhi. 

The victim came to the airport for a joy ride with friends and family members on Saturday. But he chose not to fly and asked his friends to take the small flight as he shot their pictures from the ground. The two friends, after a 15-minute flight, were set to land around 11 am when Garg apparently got dangerously close to the air strip and was hit by one of the rotor blades. 

Garg suffered serious gashes on his head and slumped on the strip. By the time the plane halted and people rushed to the spot, he had died. Pilot Anil Gupta and his colleague in the plane Purvi received minor injuries while the front wheel and a rotor blade of the plane were damaged, said Anil Thapa, spokesman of Pankh Aviation which runs the flying club with which Garg was associated. 

 The district administration has ordered a probe, which would also cover the apparent lapse by civil aviation authorities because of which Garg was allowed to go on to the runway. District Magistrate Vikas Gothawal said he had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident including the rights of Pankh Aviation. An inquiry would be conducted to find out whether Pankh Aviation observed safety and aviation rules. The criminal aspect of the probe would be looked into by police. Police said the matter was being investigated and they were trying to find out who allowed Garg to come close to the runway and take pictures.   

Meerut:  A Delhi businessman was killed after he was hit by his two-seater aircraft near the outskirts of Meerut today.

The owner of the micro-light private plane, Yogesh Garg, a resident of Delhi, was reportedly killed at around 11 am while he was trying to take pictures of the aircraft when it was landing.

According to reports, Mr Garg had come to the airport with two of his friends, but chose not to fly and asked his friends instead to take a small flight as clicked pictures from the ground. As the plane was about to land, Mr Garg reportedly got dangerously close and was hit by the propeller. According to reports, he suffered major injuries on his head and died on the spot.

Anil Thapa, spokesman of Pankh Aviation, which runs the flying club, said the wing and a wheel of the plane was damaged in the incident, but its pilot Anil Gupta and his colleague Purvi escaped unhurt.

The district administration has reportedly ordered a probe, which would also cover the alleged lapse by the civil aviation authorities as Mr Garg was allowed to go on to the runway. The police said they also were trying to find out who allowed Mr Garg to come on the runway and take pictures.

Official sources said that the BR Ambedkar air strip in Partapur is not used for commercial purposes and is used by businessmen off and on, who have their private planes parked in the hangar. 

 Meerut, May 12:  Yogesh Garg, CEO of power consultancy firm Infraline Technologies, was killed this morning in a freak mishap on the Partapur airfield near Meerut, when a 2-seater micro light aircraft took off even as Garg was taking photographs on the airstrip.

The wing of the X-air micro light gliding aircraft struck Garg’s skull, severing it from his body, spilling blood on the airstrip.

The pilot of the aircraft, Anil Gupta then suddenly applied brakes, and one of the wheels came off. Gupta and his associate Poorvi were inside the aircraft at the time of takeoff. 

The aircraft belongs to Pankh Aviation Club and Yogesh Garg, the owner of the club, had come from Delhi for an early morning gliding. Meerut Police is investigating as to how Garg was allowed to take pictures on the airstrip, as photography is banned on the airfield.