An Indian Air Force (IAF) microlight aircraft crashed in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Tuesday during a routine training sortie. Both pilots on board ejected safely and were later recovered, the Air Force said.
The crash occurred during a routine flying exercise. No civilian casualties or damage to property on the ground were reported.
Videos from the site show the aircraft’s wreckage scattered across the ground, with some parts still on fire. Another clip appears to capture the pilots ejecting safely.
The cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained. The Air Force has ordered a court of inquiry to determine the circumstances leading to the incident.
The accident comes amid a series of recent IAF training mishaps. In November last year, a Pilatus PC-7 basic trainer aircraft crashed near Tambaram in Chennai during a routine training mission, with the pilot ejecting safely.
In another incident in March last year, an IAF Jaguar fighter jet crashed near Panchkula in Haryana due to a technical malfunction; the pilot steered the aircraft away from populated areas before ejecting safely.
Source: India Today