Karnataka: IAF trainer jet Kiran crashes in Chamarajanagar; pilots eject safely

The HAL-manufactured plane took off from the nearby IAF training base and the crash occurred at around 12 noon.

Chamarajanagar (Karnataka): An intermediate trainer jet Kiran belonging to the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in an open field in Chamarajanagar on Thursday. Fortunately, the two pilots made it out safely after ejecting from the plane before the crash.

The HAL-manufactured plane took off from the nearby IAF training base and the crash occurred at around 12 noon. "A Kiran trainer aircraft of the IAF crashed near Chamrajnagar, Karnataka today, while on a routine training sortie. Both aircrew ejected safely. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," IAF said in a short statement it shared on Twitter.

It was good fortune that aircraft hit the ground on barren land and not in the nearby village, a villager said, adding it would have been catastrophic if the plane had crashed into the village. District officials said the pilots, identified only as Tejpal and Bhumika, sustained minor injuries. No casualties were reported.

Senior district officials and an IAF team reached the spot along with the fire and emergency services personnel. As soon as the plane crashed with a loud noise, villagers rushed to the spot and found the mangled aircraft engulfed in flames and billowing smoke. Besides alerting the local police and the fire brigade, they also rushed to the spot where the two pilots were seen ejecting and coming down with the help of parachute.

Villagers noticed the two pilots lying on the ground. Quickly, they created a temporary shed for them. Police officials rushed to the spot, cordoned off the area and put up a makeshift tent for the injured pilots. The district officials in turn informed the IAF authorities in Bengaluru who then rushed to the spot in a special helicopter and airlifted the two injured pilots.

According to the Additional Deputy Commissioner of the District Katyayani Devi, one of the pilots sustained injuries in the spine while the other injured her mouth. "The IAF helicopter has airlifted the two pilots to Bengaluru," she added. Panchayat Development Officer Rame Gowda said he was in the office when he heard a blast.

"After hearing the sound, I came out and enquired. I got to know that an IAF aircraft had crashed. I rushed to the spot and saw the crashed aircraft in flames. I informed the police and the fire and emergency services department about the incident," Gowda told reporters.

On May 8, a MiG 21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed on a house in the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan. Three women died and as many others were injured in the incident. However, the pilot ejected safely, but sustained minor injuries in the crash. The plane was on a routine training sortie from the Air Force Station at Suratgarh in Ganganagar district, which is close to Hanumangarh.

In January earlier this year, two fighter aircraft of the IAF were involved in an accident near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. The aircraft were on routine operational flying training missions. One of the three pilots involved sustained fatal injuries.