New Delhi: The pilot who died in the mid-air collision between two IAF combat jets- a Sukhoi 30 and Mirage 2000 near the Gwalior airbase hailed from Belsgavi in Karnataka, IAF officials said. They further revealed that the deceased pilot was identified as Wing Commander Hanumanth Rao Sarathi flying the Mirage 2000.
"The IAF deeply regrets to inform that Wg Cdr Hanumanth Rao Sarathi suffered fatal injuries during the accident. All air warriors and the fraternity stand strongly with the bereaved family," IAF stated in a tweet on Saturday.
The deceased fighter pilot was a resident of Sambhaji Nagar in Belagavi, officials said adding that officials of Air Force Training Center, Belagavi visited Hanumanta Rao's house and informed the family members about the incident.
His father Revanasiddappa is a retired Indian Army Captain and his brother Praveen is also a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force. Sarathi is survived by his wife and two children. Official sources said that the mortal remains of Hanuman Rao will be brought to Belagavi in a special flight on Sunday morning.
IAF sources said that the recovery of the flight data recorders of the two aircraft would throw some light on what led to the crash. Morena Collector Ankit Asthana said that two pilots survived the crash adding that the body parts of another were found in the Pahargarh area.
According to an aviation expert, it was the first Mirage 2000 as well as Sukhoi-30MKI that the IAF lost in a mid-air collision. The SU-30MKI is a twin-seater combat jet, while the Mirage 2000, manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, is a single-seater aircraft.
Both the jets took off from the Gwalior Air Force station. The base has squadrons of both Sukhoi-30MKIs and the Mirage 2000 jets. Aviation historian Anchit Gupta tweeted that mid-air collisions (MAC) are not that uncommon and at least 64 aircraft and 39 pilots have been lost in MAC in the last more than 70 years in India. He said the country lost 11 Mig-21 aircraft in MAC, while the numbers for the Hunter and Jaguar aircraft are eight and five respectively.
"Two fighter aircraft of IAF were involved in an accident near Gwalior today morning. The aircraft were on routine operational flying training mission. One of the three pilots involved, sustained fatal injuries. An inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident," IAF tweeted earlier in the day.
Also read: Pilot killed after Mirage, Sukhoi fighters 'collide mid-air' in Madhya Pradesh
IAF officials clarified that only one accident- a collision between two IAF warplanes- have taken place and the debris from the collision fell in two different locations. " While the wreckage of the Mirage fell in Morena in Madhya Pradesh, the debris from the Sukhoi fell in Rajasthan's Bharatpur," IAF sources said.
They further revealed that Sukhoi30 collided with the Mirage in mid-air during a routine operational flying mission. While the Mirage 2000 crashed in Morena, the Sukhoi flew for some time, before the pilot ejected from the damaged aircraft and its debris fell in Bharatpur.
Morena and Bharatpur are adjoining districts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, not far from Gwalior Airbase. Official sources said that the IAF has ordered a Court of Inquiry to ascertain how the crash happened but has termed it one 'accident'.
