On 28 June 2018, at about 1:15 pm, a Beechcraft C90 King Air aircraft chartered from UY Aviation Pvt Ltd with the registration VT-UPZ crashed at Jagruti Nagar in the suburb of Ghatkopar in Mumbai. The 12-seater aircraft carried 4 people including the pilot. All people on board plus one person on the ground are confirmed dead. As a result of the crash, a fire broke out in the built-up area. Local firefighters and police responded to the accident. It is believed that there are no further casualties. The aircraft had departed from Juhu Aerodrome for a test flight. Five people lost their lives in this accident; 2 pilots, 1 Technician, 1 Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, and 1 civilian. The cause of the accident is unknown. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Board released the report in Dec 2018. The probable cause of the accident as per the report was a stall caused by lack of situational awareness due to spatial disorientation triggered by deteriorating weather, a transition from ILS to visual flying and unexpected bank owing to differential engine power. The report indicts the Indian DGCA for violation of regulations in granting the Air Operator Permit. The aircraft VT-UPZ was previously owned by the Uttar Pradesh government. In 2014 the aircraft met with an accident in Allahabad in which there was substantial damage but the DGCA investigation termed it as a minor incident. Taking advantage of this report, the certificate of airworthiness was not cancelled. Over the next decade, the aircraft changed ownership and was transported to Mumbai where the repair work was carried out under the supervision of the DGCA. Capt. Amit Singh FRAeS an aviation carried out a detailed independent of the accident and submitted the report to the , Ministry of Civil Aviation, India. Capt. Amit Singh has stated that the AAIB investigation is manipulated and does not correctly identify the cause of the accident, therefore, needs an investigation by a court of inquiry. The investigation has completely shielded the operator who was granted an Air Operator Permit by the Indian DGCA without having filled the mandatory post of the Chief of Safety. As per the technical report, both engines malfunctioned in flight probably due to which the aircraft crashed.
