An Indian Air Force (IAF) trainer aircraft crashed near the Tambaram air base in Chennai on Friday during a routine training mission. The aircraft went down around 2 pm, but the pilot managed to eject
safely before impact.
In a statement issued soon after, the IAF said the Pilatus PC-7 basic trainer was on a standard training sortie when the incident occurred.
The air force further noted that a court of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the crash.
This latest incident comes months after a series of IAF aircraft accidents reported earlier this year. In July, two IAF pilots were killed when a Jaguar fighter aircraft crashed into a field near Bhanuda village in Rajasthan’s Churu district during a training exercise.
The twin-seater jet experienced a technical malfunction, and in an effort to avoid populated areas and protect the airfield, Squadron Leader Lokendra and Flight Lieutenant Rishi steered the aircraft away before it went down. Both pilots succumbed to their injuries. It was the third Jaguar aircraft crash reported this year.
In March, another Jaguar fighter jet on a routine sortie crashed near Ambala in Haryana after a system malfunction, with the pilot ejecting safely. A month later, a Jaguar crash near Jamnagar claimed the life of one pilot during yet another training sortie.
