A 27-year-old Maldivian student pilot and his instructor have sustained serious injuries after their small aircraft crashed during a training flight in Spain.
According to Spanish media reports, the incident occurred yesterday afternoon. The Maldivian student was reportedly in the final stages of his pilot training, though his identity has not been publicly disclosed.
The twin-engine aircraft was being piloted by a 26-year-old Portuguese instructor who has over 700 hours of flying experience, reports stated.
The Maldivian student is currently receiving treatment at San Pedro Hospital for head injuries and a fractured leg. The instructor, who sustained severe spinal injuries and is in critical condition, was airlifted by helicopter to a university hospital.
FlyBy Aviation Academy stated that the aircraft encountered difficulties while returning to the airport after completing a training session. Preliminary assessments suggest the cause may have been a bird strike or a mechanical failure. Authorities believe the crash was not due to human error, noting that the crew attempted to maintain control and perform an emergency landing in a field.
The Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency has launched an investigation into the accident. FlyBy, the flight school where the Maldivian student is enrolled, is a prominent institution with over 150 international students.
This marks the second incident involving the school's aircraft in the past four months. In April, a female student was involved in an accident when the landing gear of her aircraft collapsed during touchdown; however, no injuries were reported in that instance.
