Air Force para jump instructor dies during demo skydiving drop in Agra

The 41-year-old officer's parachute failed to open due to a technical malfunction. (Representational image)

A para jump instructor of the Indian Air Force's (IAF) renowned Akash Ganga Skydiving Team died on Saturday after sustaining fatal injuries during a demonstration drop in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

The Air Force said that the instructor, identified as Warrant Officer Ramkumar Tiwari, died due to injuries sustained during a 'demo drop', which is a technical term for a training exercise, according to a report by NDTV.

"A Para Jump Instructor from the IAF's Akash Ganga Skydiving Team succumbed to injuries sustained during a Demo Drop at Agra today. The IAF deeply mourns the loss, and extends heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, standing firmly with them in this hour of grief," the Indian Air Force posted on X.

According to officials, the 41-year-old officer's parachute failed to open due to a technical malfunction, causing him to crash straight to the ground. The incident took place around 9.30 am at the Agra Air Base, where Tiwari was providing paratrooping training to soldiers, according to a report by India Today.

This incident marks the second fatal accident involving Indian Air Force personnel in less than a week.

On Wednesday night, an IAF Jaguar two-seater aircraft crashed during a night mission in Gujarat's Jamnagar. Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav died in the crash. "An IAF Jaguar two-seater aircraft airborne from Jamnagar Airfield crashed during a night mission. The pilots faced a technical malfunction and initiated ejection, avoiding harm to the airfield and local population," the IAF said.

The 28-year-old had ensured that his co-pilot ejected and that he steered the crashing jet away from densely populated areas. Yadav had been promoted to Flight Lieutenant two years ago. He got engaged in March and was scheduled to get married in November.