Two pilots were today injured when an aircraft of Madhya Pradesh Flying Club on a training sortie crashed at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in the city, an airport official said. One of the injured pilots is in a serious condition. "The Flying Club's plane Cessna 152, that is used for training purpose, crashed near the boundary wall of the airport while it was on a training sortie," Airport's Acting Director Sanjay Agrawal told PTI.

The two-seater single engine plane was being piloted by the club's instructor Pavandeep Singh and pilot Arshad Qureshi, both aged around 30, who were performing 'touch and go' exercise when the mishap occurred, he said. The aircraft took off for the first time around 10.39 AM and returned to the airport in ten minutes. It proceeded for another round, but around 10.55 AM it lost contact with the Air Traffic Controller (ATC), Agrawal said. Soon, an alert was sounded and fire brigade employees and a rescue team were rushed in search of the plane, which was found crashed near the airport's boundary wall located about 500 meters away from the runway at 11.10 AM.

The two injured pilots were immediately taken to Mohak Hightech Speciality Hospital. Qureshi is in a serious condition, Hospital's Neuro Surgery Department's Head Dr Shrikant Rege said. "Qureshi suffered serious injuries on his head, face and both the legs. He has lost a lot of blood as well. We are trying our best to pull him out of the serious condition," Rege said.

"The exact reason behind the accident is not yet known," Flying Club's Chief Instructor Mandar Mahajan said adding, "We are unable to say anything on the issue till our two pilots gain consciousness. The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) probe would clear the same." Mahajan denied that Qureshi was a trainee pilot and added that he is a Commercial Pilot Licence holder and is working for the MP Flying Club.