Trainer aircraft with pilot, trainee onboard goes missing in Jharkhand

A two-seater trainer aircraft went missing after it took off from an aerodrome in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district on Tuesday, following which a massive search was started, officials said.

The aircraft, reported to be a Cessna 152 owned by flying school Alchemist Aviation, took off from the Sonari aerodrome in Jamshedpur around 11 am with a pilot and trainee on board, they said.

The aircraft was last located near Nimdih in Seraikela-Kharsawan district, East Singhbhum's Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal told PTI.

The administrations of the East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharswan districts, police and the Forest Department were searching for the aircraft, he said.

Besides the areas near Nimdih, searches were also being conducted in adjoining Purulia district of West Bengal, he added.

At night, the search was expanded to the Chandil dam after locals claimed that they saw the debris of the aircraft in the reservoir, officials said.

"Nothing concrete has been found yet but a search is being conducted in the dam," superintendent of police of Seraikela-Kharswan Mukesh Kumar Lunayat told PTI.

Senior police officers were overseeing the search operation as boats were scouting the waters, he said.