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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Trainer plane hard-lands near Baramati

Mumbai: In a shocker, a small trainer aircraft belonging to a private aviation company hard-landed near the Baramati Airfield on Wednesday, sparking fresh concerns over aviation safety in a region that has been witness to several aircraft-related incidents in the past few months. The two-seater, single-engine aircraft belongs to Redbird Flight Training Academy (RFTA) and it crash-landed near the Baramati Airfield this morning around 8.50 am. There are no casualties reported in the incident...

Trainer plane hard-lands near Baramati

Mumbai: In a shocker, a small trainer aircraft belonging to a private aviation company hard-landed near the Baramati Airfield on Wednesday, sparking fresh concerns over aviation safety in a region that has been witness to several aircraft-related incidents in the past few months. The two-seater, single-engine aircraft belongs to Redbird Flight Training Academy (RFTA) and it crash-landed near the Baramati Airfield this morning around 8.50 am. There are no casualties reported in the incident though the Italian-made plane is reported to have suffered minor damage. Confirming the mishap, Pune (Rural) Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill told mediapersons that the plane crash landed near Gojubavi village, adjacent to the Baramati Airfield. In a terse statement later, the RFTA said: “This is to inform that our aircraft, a Tecnam P2008JC bearing registration VT-RFY, was involved in an incident at Gojubavi in the vicinity of Baramati Airport. As per the preliminary information received, the aircraft was undertaking a solo flight at the time of the occurrence. The cadet pilot is reported to be safe,” it said. When contacted in New Delhi, a senior RFTA official, Dr. Ritu Grover, told The Perfect Voice that they had no further information on the accident including the identity of the trainee pilot. According to initial information, the aircraft developed a technical glitch while cruising at a low altitude while on a routine practice flight, forcing the trainee pilot to attempt an emergency landing but it hard-landed. “During the crash landing, a part of the aircraft grazed an electric light pole before it came down on the ground. Only one trainee pilot was on board the aircraft and fortunately, no serious injuries were reported in the incident,” Gill said. Upon receiving information from the locals, a police team rushed to the accident spot and cordoned off the site. The injured trainee pilot was taken for treatment while local aviation officials launched a probe into the incident. The police said that further details would be released after a technical assessment of the aircraft and ascertaining the causes leading to the disaster. Incidentally, this is believed to be the third mishap involving the Tecnam aircraft including in 2021 and 2023 in different places. The RFTA is one of the two major pilot training institutes operating from the Baramati aviation hub. The region has emerged as a centre for aviation training, with institutes like RFTA and the Carver Aviation conducting regular training sorties from the airfield. Today’s incident brought focus on the safety record of aviation training operations in Baramati, particularly around Gojubavi village, where multiple aircraft mishaps have been reported in recent years. The latest crash comes barely four months after the January 28 Learjet crash near here that had sent shockwaves across the state and national political circles. The mishap had claimed the life of then Maharashtra deputy chief minister and ex-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit A. Pawar along with four others, making it one of the deadliest aviation incidents in the region in recent memory. Locals recall that similar trainer aircraft disasters involving RRFTA planes had occurred in the vicinity in the past, raising concerns over recurring technical failures and emergency landings dangerously close to populated areas. The aviation authorities are likely to examine whether mechanical failure, pilot error, or operational lapses led to today’s hard-landing at Baramati Airfield. Hazardous Airfield A preliminary probe report by the AAIB into the Learjet 45XR – owned by VSR Ventures Ltd – that crashed on Jan. 28 killing Ajit Pawar and others, had made certain stinging observations on the facilities at Baramati Airfield, managed and maintained by the Maharashtra Airport Development Co. Ltd. Besides the two private aviation training academies, it regularly handles non-scheduled operations, including Chartered/VIP flights. In a shocker, it also stated how the two ATC towers there are manned flying instructors or students, including training flights and VVIP operations.

Who Took the Cookie Out of the Jar?

cookie

In today’s hyper-connected world, the word ‘cookie’ evokes more than just the buttery delights that accompany a cup of tea. Beyond the realm of nankhatai and chocolate chip confections lies another, far less appetizing variety: the digital cookie. These virtual snippets, invisible to the naked eye, are the linchpin of modern online functionality, facilitating everything from smoother website logins to tracking consumer habits. Yet, just as cookies crumble under a bite, so too can the veil of digital privacy when these data packets are misused.


The Good Cookies: Embedded in websites and stored on users’ devices, cookies were created to enhance online experiences. Their role in streamlining the digital journey is significant: session management, personalized browsing, and efficient data retention are just a few examples of how cookies can be beneficial.


Cookies: These ephemeral files exist only for the duration of a user’s visit. When a browser is closed, session cookies vanish. Their utility is most evident in maintaining a seamless experience. For instance, preserving login status or retaining items in a shopping cart.


Persistent Cookies: Unlike their transient counterparts, persistent cookies linger on devices for a predetermined time. They allow websites to remember user preferences, such as language settings or recurring login details.


First-Party Cookies: Cookies generated by visited sites enable core functions and basic analytics. When used responsibly, they enhance convenience and create a personalized digital experience. But as the saying goes, every rose has its thorn.


Not all cookies are benign. What starts as a simple text file can quickly become a tool for intrusion. The shift from convenience to compromise is seamless and often invisible to users.


While cookies aid data retention for targeted advertising, they also offer opportunities for cybercriminals. Browsing data can turn into exploitable digital dossiers, escalating tracking from ad personalization to security risks. This fuels a data brokerage industry where user data is compiled and sold, blurring the line between utility and intrusion. Cookies underpin this multi-billion-dollar market, often unbeknownst to users whose actions are part of a hidden auction.


One of the more insidious exploits, session hijacking, can be triggered through man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). By stealing session cookies, cybercriminals can bypass login credentials and impersonate users. In cases of online banking or cryptocurrency platforms, the implications are severe. Reports from 2019 to 2020 highlighted a wave of incidents where session cookies were used to gain unauthorized access, leading to substantial financial thefts.


In sensitive sectors like banking, stolen session cookies let attackers impersonate users and access accounts without passwords, highlighting the need for strong security measures like encryption and multi-factor authentication. Persistent cookies are prime targets for phishing schemes, capturing data on fraudulent sites and enabling identity theft. Modern phishing campaigns use advanced techniques where cookies are key, embedding malicious code in legitimate-seeming emails or sites to deceive users into revealing data.


Persistent cookies also find their way into shadowy practices involving ‘supercookies’ and ‘zombie cookies’ - variations that can regenerate even after deletion. These are used to track user behaviour far more invasively, making it difficult for individuals to regain control over their data. Supercookies bypass conventional cookie management settings and, when combined with device fingerprinting, can build a uniquely identifiable profile of users that is nearly impossible to erase.


The banking sector, among others, has seen the risks of cookie exploitation play out in stark detail. In documented cases between 2019 and 2020, cybercriminals successfully stole session cookies to impersonate users, accessing accounts and draining funds. The response from the financial industry included ramped-up security protocols and increased user education—an acknowledgment that even the most innocuous digital elements can harbour latent threats.


Another high-profile incident involved a series of attacks on cryptocurrency platforms, where stolen session cookies were used to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA). This allowed attackers to infiltrate digital wallets and trading accounts, siphoning off significant sums and eroding trust in the security of such platforms.


To mitigate cookie risks, understanding their dual nature is essential. Users should clear cookies and browser history regularly, use tools to block third-party cookies, stay vigilant against phishing, and use HTTPS sites. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds a defence layer even if session cookies are compromised. Organizations need to educate users, update security protocols, use ‘HttpOnly’ and ‘Secure’ cookie attributes, and promote logging out when accounts are not in use to minimize risks.


Cookies, much like their edible namesakes, can bring comfort and delight or, in the wrong hands, create a mess. While they undoubtedly enrich the online experience when properly managed, their potential misuse calls for vigilance. Users must stay informed, and organizations must continuously bolster cybersecurity to ensure that digital crumbs do not invite unsavoury guests to the table.


(The writer is a cyber security expert and serves as a technical advisor to the Maharashtra government. Views personal.)

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