Ranchi youth dies in Johannesburg plane crash during pilot training

In a tragic blow to his family and community, 20-year-old Piyush Pushp from Ranchi lost his life in a plane crash during pilot training in Johannesburg, South Africa. Piyush, a resident of Argora Kathal Mod, Lajpat Nagar, was the son of T.N. Sahu, a retired teacher of Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali.

Piyush had moved to South Africa earlier this year to pursue his dream of becoming a commercial pilot and was undergoing flight training at the Vulcan Aviation Institute, one of the country’s reputed aviation academies. According to preliminary reports from the institute, the training aircraft suffered a sudden technical malfunction mid-air, resulting in a crash. Piyush sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Family sources revealed that Piyush had recently informed his father that he was close to completing his flying certification and was eager to return to India to join an airline. The family received the devastating news late on Sunday night via official communication from the training institute.

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A former student of Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, Piyush was remembered by teachers and classmates as a disciplined, intelligent, and ambitious young man with a lifelong fascination for aviation.

The news of his untimely death has cast a pall of gloom over the Argora Lajpat Nagar neighborhood, with neighbors, teachers, and friends visiting the family to offer condolences. A family friend said,

“The entire locality is in shock. Piyush was polite, hardworking, and full of dreams. His passing is an irreparable loss.”

The Indian Consulate in Johannesburg has been informed and has initiated the process of repatriating Piyush’s body to India. The Vulcan Aviation Institute has assured the family that a detailed internal investigation into the crash is underway, though South African authorities have yet to release an official report on the exact cause.

With IANS inputs