The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB WPR20WA003 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Cessna 172 accident near Sultanpur, In, October 6, 2019

On October 6, 2019 at about 7:50 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered VTRGF, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Sultanpur. It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. 2 people were killed.

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
October 6, 2019 · about 7:50 am local time
Place
Sultanpur, India
Type
Accident
Injuries
2 people were killed.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
Registration
VTRGF · no longer on the register
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Flight · rules the NTSB did not record

The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record

On October 6, 2019, about 0750 coordinated universal time, a Cessna 172, VT-RGF, impacted terrain near Sultanpur, India after requesting to turn back due to bad weather. The student pilot and passenger were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was operated under the pertinent civil regulations of the government of India. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of India, this report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by the Government of India. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Air Accident Investigation Bureau Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan Safdarjung Airport New Delhi-3 India Tel.: (91) 11 2461-0843 / 2461-0848 E-mail: opsctrl@aai.aero Fax: (91) 11 2469-3963

The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.

The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

What happened, in order

  1. VFR encounter with IMC during enroute (cruise) defining event

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: fixed

Weather at the time

  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew2

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.

Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.