Ranchi: A 20-year-old aspiring pilot from Ranchi, India, Piyush Pushp, died Sunday after the training aircraft he was flying crashed during a session at the Vulcan Aviation Institute in Johannesburg, South Africa.

According to preliminary information from the institute, the aircraft developed a sudden technical malfunction mid-air. Piyush sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a local hospital, where he later succumbed. Authorities in South Africa have yet to release an official report on the exact cause of the crash, while the institute has said a detailed internal investigation is underway.

Piyush, the son of T.N. Sahu, a retired teacher of Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, had moved to South Africa earlier this year to pursue his dream of becoming a commercial pilot. Family sources said he had recently told his father that he was close to completing his flying certification and was eager to return to India to join an airline.

A former student of Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, Piyush was remembered for his discipline, intelligence, and quiet determination. His teachers described him as a “bright and ambitious” student with a lifelong fascination for aviation.

News of his death reached the family late Sunday night through official communication from the training institute. The Indian Consulate in Johannesburg has been informed and has begun the process of repatriating his body to India.

Since Monday morning, neighbours, teachers, and classmates have been visiting the Sahu family residence in Argora, Lajpat Nagar, offering condolences. “The entire locality is in shock. Piyush was polite, hardworking, and full of dreams. His passing is an irreparable loss,” said a family friend. IANS