2 IAF Pilots Killed As Trainer Aircraft Crashes In Telangana, Inquiry Ordered: Officials
2 IAF pilots were killed after their trainer aircraft crashed in Telangana. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.
"One Pilatus PC 7 Mk Il trainer aircraft met with an accident today morning during a routine training sortie from the Air Force Academy, Hyderabad," an IAF official told PTI.
"It is with deep regret that lAF confirms that both the pilots on board have sustained fatal injuries," he said.
With a focus on enhancing indigenous capabilities, the IAF is in the process of procuring an indigenously-developed trainer aircraft. In March, the defence ministry finalised a deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to acquire 70 HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft, amounting to over Rs 6,800 crore for the IAF, PTI reported. The HTT-40 boasts approximately 56 per cent indigenous content, with plans to increase this to over 60 per cent through the indigenization of major components and subsystems.
In June, the IAF's Kiran trainer aircraft crashed at Karnataka's Chamarajanagar. However, in this incident, the two pilots safely ejected from the plane before the crash.