Chennai, 14 November (H.S.) : A small trainer aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on the Tiruchy-Pudukkottai highway on Thursday afternoon following a technical snag in its engine.

The incident occurred at Ammachathiram near Keeranur, involving a Cessna 172 aircraft belonging to the Salem-based Ekvi Air Training Organisation. Fortunately, the trainer, Rahul Ramesh, and his trainee, Hasir, escaped the emergency landing unharmed.

The crew sensed the engine issue and executed the landing on a stretch of the road that had unusually light traffic at the time. While they landed safely, the aircraft sustained minor damage from the impact.

No pedestrians or vehicles on the ground were hurt during the incident. Following the landing, locals swiftly assisted the crew in moving the aircraft from the middle of the road to a safer location.

Following the emergency, the crew informed their aviation firm, which, in turn, alerted the Tiruchy Airport authorities. Officials from the airport later confirmed that there was indeed an issue with the aircraft's engine and commended the alertness and skill of the trainer and trainee in handling the situation.

As an update on the official action, a technical team from the Tiruchy airport reached the spot to inspect the aircraft and immediately updated the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Officials further stated that an inquiry by the DGCA has been ordered to ascertain the actual cause and full details of the engine malfunction.

The news of the unusual road landing quickly spread, drawing a crowd of curious residents from Tiruchy and Pudukkottai districts to the spot.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary