The Kiran trainer aircraft of the IAF that crashed near Chamarajanagar in Karnataka was on a routine training sortie.
Published Jun 01, 2023 | 6:06 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 01, 2023 | 7:18 PM
Remains of the crashed plane
An Indian Air Force (IAF) training plane crashed during a training sortie in the Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka on Thursday, 1 June.
The incident happened at the Sappayanapalya village, which comes under the Santhemarenahalli police limits.
Local police interacting with minorly injured pilots of the crashed plane. (Supplied)
The crew of the Kiran trainer aircraft — one male and one female — ejected out of the plane safely before it crashed on the ground.
The pilots fell on the other side where the plane crashed and sustained minor injuries. While one of them sustained an injury on the back, the other was injured in the mouth.
A senior police officer, quoting the villagers, told South First that after the two pilots ejected from the plane, their parachutes opened up and they fell on an open field in the village.
Soon after the crash, residents of the Sappayanapalya village gathered around the spot and attempted to help the pilots.
Soon, the Santhemarenahalli police arrived at the spot and cordoned the area.
Chamarajanagar Superintendent of Police (SP) Padmini Sahoo, along with Chamrajnagar Additional Deputy Commissioner Kathyayini Devi, visited the spot.
Crashed part of the plane at Chamrajnagar. (Supplied)
Meanwhile, the IAF issued a statement in which it gave more details about the incident.
It said in the statement: A Kiran trainer aircraft of the IAF crashed near Chamrajnagar in Karnataka today (Thursday) while on a routine training sortie. Both aircrew ejected safely.”
It added: “A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.”
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.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) June 1, 2023
The crash site in Sappayanapalya village in Chamrajnagar district. (Supplied)
Meanwhile, Additional Deputy Commissioner Kathyayini Devi told reporters: “A light training aircraft crashed here. We don’t have information on how it crashed.”
She corroborated the IAF statement when she said: “Two pilots had ejected and fell to the ground. One was injured on the back and the other was bleeding on the lips. Both of them have been airlifted to Yelahanka Airbase.”
A crashed part of the plane. (Supplied)
Chamarajnagar SP Padmini Sahoo told South First: “The light aircraft crashed around 11.30 am in the Santhemarenahalli police limits in Sappayanapalya village.”
She, too, corroborated the IAF statement when she said: “There were two pilots who ejected safely.”
She added: “The rescue team arrived within no time and both pilots were airlifted to Bengaluru. They are safe, and did not sustain any major injury.”
Remains of the crashed plane at the spot. (Supplied)
Police sources who assisted the Air Force rescue team said that the training aircraft had taken off from HAL Airport for training sorties.
They added that the aircraft was headed to the Yelahanka airbase when the crash happened.
The Kiran is an Indian two-seat intermediate jet-powered trainer aircraft designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
It was developed at the behest of the IAF, and has been used by the Air Force since 1968.
