Abuja — A woman trainee pilot with the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria narrowly escaped death yesterday, when the Tampico B9 aircraft she was flying crashed into a fence and damaged the aircraft.

The rector of the institution, Captain Tayo Araba said the incident occurred around 11 am, when the pilot of the light aircraft with registration 5N TAV crashed into a wall, adding that she sustained no injury.

LEADERSHIP learnt that the trainee pilot, whose name was not disclosed was said to have been on a solo flight, one of the requirements that a trainee pilot must meet before he or she qualifies as a pilot.

It entails that a pilot must take instruction before taking to the sky on his own. In the United States , the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations require that a student pilot shows competence in several specific skills before being allowed to go solo.

In practice, it typically takes 15-20 hours of flight time. However, soloing at 8 hours or 30 hours is not uncommon. In extreme cases, new pilots may get their solo endorsements after fewer than two hours, or more than 40 hours.

Usually, when the student is given permission to fly alone, the instructor directs the student to fly three circuits of the traffic pattern, each accompanied by a full stop landing.

During the solo, the student's flight instructor generally supervises the student's performance from the ground, paying close attention to the approach and landing, with many instructors keeping a radio handy in case the student pilot should need assistance.