Bengaluru: A pilot was killed and two others ejected to safety, while one pilot is missing after two aircraft of IAF's aerobatic team Surya Kiran crashed near the Yelahanka airbase here on Tuesday, a top police official said. The incident happened a day before the opening of the Aero India show.
The mid-air collision took place in Yelahanka air base today The deceased pilot has been identified as Sahil Gandhi. The missing pilot is still untraceable and search is underway to find him.
The mishap occurred during a sortie as part of the rehersal for the five-day Asia's premier Air show here.
The Indian Air Force has ordered a court of inquiry to look into the cause of the accident.
"There were three pilots, one has died, two are safe with injuries," DGP Fire Services M N Reddi who rushed to the spot said.
A civilian was also injured in the mishap, police added.
"I'm aware of it (incident)," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, but did not elaborate further when asked about the accident.
She said this on the sidelines of an event here.
It was not immediately clear whether the two aircraft collided before the crash.
The crash comes barely two weeks after a Mirage 2000 jet had crashed at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited airfield killing both pilots.
- BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT SURYA KIRAN JET
Surya Kiran, used as a mascot for the IAF to inspire youngsters to take up military aviation, is in its second avatar flying sub-sonic advanced jet trainers Hawk 132 that made an appearance in new livery four years ago after replacing jaded Kiran Mk II intermediate jet trainers.
The Surya Kiran team with Kiran Mk II aircraft was wound up in 2011 but not before a series of accidents.
In January 2009, Wing Commander R.S. Dhaliwal died in a crash near Surya Kiran's home base Bidar in Karnataka.
Another aircraft crashed in December 2007. In March 2006, another crash took place in Bidar killing two pilots.
The British-origin Hawks are made in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). These are used to train pilots in advanced fighter flying skills.
Apart from IAF, the Royal Air Force aerobatics team Red Arrows also flies the Hawks.
Surya Kiran had returned to Aero India air show in Bengaluru in 2017 after a gap of nearly four years.
IAF started inducting Hawks in 2008 and till 2016 four had crashed.
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