"A Pilatus PC 7 Mk II aircraft met with an accident today morning during a routine training sortie from AFA, Hyderabad. It is with deep regret that the IAF confirms both pilots onboard the aircraft sustained fatal injuries. No damage to any civil life or property has been reported. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," the IAF said in a statement.
"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.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his condolences, saying, "Anguished by this accident near Hyderabad. It is deeply saddening that two pilots have lost their lives. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families."
The Pilatus PC-7 Mk II, a trainer aircraft designed and manufactured in Switzerland by Pilatus Aircraft, is equipped for various training purposes, including aerobatics, instrument, tactical, and night flying. In May 2012, India secured a deal to acquire 75 Pilatus PC-7 MkII aircraft for the IAF. Pilots of the IAF undergo basic training using Pilatus PC-7 Mk II planes and Kiran Mk-1/1A jets.
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.
