Ramesh Rao, Managing Director of Bengaluru-based Scion Advertising, who died in an air crash on Saturday in Coorg, was involved in another air crash two years ago when his two-seater aircraft crashed in the rocky terrain of Bellari.
Rao had a miraculous escape when the plane crash-landed in an agricultural field at Kururgod in Bellary district after developing a snag.
On Saturday, Ramesh Rao (54) crashed while landing at Begur Kolli between Srimangala and Ponnampet in Virajpet taluk. The pilot Rajiv, survived with serious injuries, but Mr. Rao succumbed to injuries around midnight, at a Mysuru hospital where the two victims were being treated.
According to reports, the plane was airborne for nearly an hour and then approached a field for landing. However, the pilot lost control of the flight when he attempted to swerve past high tension cables. The plane fell from nearly a height of 100 feet and crashed on a patch of land around 300 meters short of the runway. One of the wings of the ultralight plane was detached from the fuselage due to the impact.
Rao founded the Bangalore Flying Club as well as the Aircraft Owners’ and Pilots’ Association-India (AOPA). He was the owner of two aircraft, Zenair 701 and Zenair 601, based in Bengaluru.
He had been flying microflights regularly. He was actively promoting aerosports in the country.
Rao was not only a well-known name in the advertising industry — having represented finance, pharmaceutical and hospitality brands — but also an experienced pilot with over 10 years or 500 flight hours flying experience.