Hyderabad: In a devastating incident, a Pilatus PC 7 Mk II trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed during a routine training sortie, resulting in the loss of two lives. The unfortunate incident occurred near Toopran town in the Medak district, close to the Air Force Academy at Dundigal in Telangana.
The aircraft, which had taken off from Dundigal Air Force station in the morning, was found completely charred in the Ravelli area. The IAF has not yet released the names of the pilots.
Rohini Priyadarshini, Superintendent of Police, Medak, confirmed that the incident took place at 8:34 am at a site belonging to a small real estate venture under the Toopran police station limits. “There are no civilian casualties, but we fear the trainer and a trainee, both males, who were aboard are no more. The IAF team from Dundigal is conducting an inquiry,” Priyadarshini stated.
In an official statement, the IAF confirmed that both pilots—an instructor and a cadet—sustained fatal injuries in the accident. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident, according to the statement. Fortunately, there was no damage to civilian life or property.
This marks the first accident involving a Pilatus PC 7 Mk II trainer aircraft, part of the 75 planes procured by the IAF from Switzerland under a contract signed in 2012. The procurement aimed to address the critical shortfall in basic pilots’ training, with all aircraft delivered by 2015.
Notably, the IAF had the option to place a follow-on order for an additional 38 aircraft, but this contract wasn’t signed after the Swiss firm faced a one-year blacklist by the defence ministry over allegations of corrupt practices in securing the deal.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence inked a contract with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to acquire 70 HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft for the IAF. Designed and developed indigenously by HAL’s Aircraft Research & Design Centre, the HTT-40 is powered by a four-bladed turboprop engine.
