Triumph over tragedy: Pune girl's aviation journey
Bhavika Rathod, a 24-year-old from Pune, just earned her Commercial Pilot License after surviving a scary engine failure during training.
In July 2022, her Cessna 152 lost power at 1,000 feet, forcing her to make an emergency landing on farmland near Kadbanwadi village.
How Bhavika coped with the incident aftermath
Despite the sudden engine failure, Bhavika managed to land safely with only minor injuries.
The DGCA grounded her while investigating the incident, and she received clearance to resume training five months after the crash.
Those months were tough—she battled self-doubt and needed time to recover.
Now, she dreams of flying for a major airline
With support from her family, she got back to flying by December 2022—facing the same aircraft and runway that once terrified her.
By September 2023, she completed all requirements for her license and even trained on an Airbus A320 in Spain.
Now, Bhavika dreams of joining a major airline as a first officer and one day captaining an Airbus A380.