GWALIOR (Madhya Pradesh), Jan 28: Two IAF fighter jets crashed near Gwalior,
one in Madhya Pradesh's Morena and the other in Bharatpur, about 100 km away
in bordering Rajasthan, on Saturday morning, killing one pilot, who was flying
a Mirage. The Mirage crashed in Morena.
There were two pilots in the Sukhoi which crashed in Bharatpur. They have been
taken to hospital. Details were not known immediately. The Mirage pilot
who was killed was identified as Wg Cdr Hanumanth Rao Sarathi.
The aircraft were on routine operational flying training mission and both had
taken off from Gwalior Air Force base station in Madhya Pradesh in the morning.
It is suspected that the jets had collided mid-air. They were engaged in a
simulated combat mission at very high speeds, according to sources. One of the
jets was Russian Sukhoi SU-30 flown by two pilots and the other a French Mirage
2000 which had one pilot who died. The two pilots of SU-30 that crashed in Bharatpur
ejected.
A court of inquiry has been ordered.
Both types of the aircraft are deployed frontline and stationed at Gwalior,
one of the largest air bases in the country. India has 60 Mirages which are
out of production now but said to be very efficient.
"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," the IAF tweeted.
