Bengaluru: One pilot dead after two IAF planes crash during rehearsals of 2019 Aero India show

A battery of US Naval assets, including the F/A-18 Super Hornet, will be on display at the Aero India Show being held in Bengaluru from February 20 to 24 as part of strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries.

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Bengaluru: Two planes of Indian Air Force's Surya Kiran Aerobatics team crashed at Bengaluru’s Yelahanka airbase during 2019 Aero India Show. As per the latest reports, three pilots were occupants where two pilots ejected and the third pilot sustained fatal injuries. The deceased pilot has been identified as a Wing Commander. He had been unable to eject after the mid-air collision. The two pilots were evacuated to the Command Hospital and damage to life and property in the vicinity of the crash site is being ascertained. A Court of Inquiry will investigate the cause of the accident. The mishap took place during the rehearsals for the Aero Show that begins from Wednesday and will continue till February 24. For the first time, HAL's Supersonic Omni Role Trainer Aircraft (SPORT) was to be positioned at the five-day Aero India 2019 beginning February 20. Here, during the inaugural air show on February 20, a fly-by will be performed by B-52 Stratofortress bombers assigned to the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

#WATCH Two aircraft of the Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team crash at the Yelahanka airbase in Bengaluru, during rehearsal for #AeroIndia2019. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/kX0V5O0n6R

— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2019

The 12th edition of Aero India 2019, an international aerospace and defence exhibition which will be held from 20-24 February at Yelahanka in Bengaluru, one of the key attractions during the 12th edition of Asia's premier air show, Aero India-2019, would be the 'Drone Olympics,' wherein national and international players would demonstrate their potential.

A battery of US Naval assets, including the F/A-18 Super Hornet, shall be on display at the Aero India Show being held in Bengaluru from February 20 to 24 as part of strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries. In addition, more than 100 United States Department of Defence personnel will support the US delegation at the show. US Ambassador to India Kenneth I Juster, who is head of the delegation to the Aero India show, said the United States and India were committed to strengthening defence cooperation, in line with Indias status as a major defence Partner. "I am pleased to be here to support our largest-ever U.S participation in Aero India. Defense acquisitions are an important component in deepening our bilateral ties and contributing to a balanced trade relationship," he said in a statement.