IAF's trainer aircraft crashes in Prayagraj, both pilots safe

IAF plane crashes in Prayagraj (Representative image)

An Indian Air Force (IAF) microlight aircraft crashed near KP College in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Wednesday. Both the pilots onboard are safe, CNN-News18 reported citing defence sources.

Soon after the incident, police and administrative officials arrived at the spot along with the fire brigade and rescue teams. The mishap occurred during a routine flying exercise, and authorities said there were no civilian casualties or damage on the ground.

According to the sources cited in the CNN-News18 report, both people onboard the aircraft managed to jump out using parachutes and were rescued from a nearby marshland.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (City) Manish Shandilya told PTI that the training aircraft crashed after its engine developed a sudden technical snag.

Videos from the site of the crash surfaced on social media, showing the aircraft’s wreckage scattered across the ground. The Air Force has reportedly ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the circumstances leading to the incident.

The incident follows several recent training mishaps involving the IAF. A Pilatus PC-7 trainer crashed near Chennai’s Tambaram in November during a routine mission, though the pilot escaped unharmed after ejecting.

In March last year, a Jaguar fighter jet crashed near Panchkula, Haryana, due to a technical fault, with the pilot ejecting safely after diverting the aircraft away from populated zones.