2 pilots killed in Pilatus PC 7 Mk II trainer aircraft crash near Hyderabad, inquiry ordered

In a statement, the IAF confirmed that both the pilots—an instructor and a cadet—sustained fatal injuries in the accident.

The aircraft had taken off from Dundigal Air Force station in the morning and was found completely charred in the Ravelli area near Tupran. (ANI Photo)

Two pilots onboard a Pilatus PC 7 Mk II trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed Monday in an accident involving the aircraft during a routine training sortie from the Air Force Academy at Dundigal in Telangana. Till late Monday, the IAF did not make public the names of the pilots. Till late Monday, the IAF did not make public the names of the pilots.

The aircraft had taken off from Dundigal Air Force station in the morning and was found completely charred in the Ravelli area near Toopran town in the Medak district.

#Watch | IAF trainer aircraft crashes near Hyderabad, 2 killed

Read here: https://t.co/Ex6tW7OOYx pic.twitter.com/RsR4Rz2k5p

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) December 4, 2023

Rohini Priyadarshini, Superintendent of Police, Medak, told indianexpress.com 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 said.

A Pilatus PC 7 Mk II aircraft met with an accident today morning during a routine training sortie from AFA, Hyderabad. It is with deep regret that the IAF confirms both pilots onboard the aircraft sustained fatal injuries. No damage to any civil life or property has been…

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 4, 2023

As per sources, the incident took place around 9 am and the sortie was learnt to be a navigational sortie in which the aircraft was flying at around 4,000 ft.

In a statement, the IAF confirmed that both pilots—an instructor and a cadet—sustained fatal injuries in the accident. It said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident. There was no damage to any civil life or property, the IAF added.

This is the first accident involving a PC 7 Mk II trainer aircraft. The IAF had procured 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mk II planes from Switzerland under a contract signed in 2012 to meet the critical shortfall in basic pilots’ training. All the aircraft were delivered by 2015 by the Swiss manufacturer.

The IAF also had the option of placing a follow-on order for another 38 aircraft, but this contract was not signed after the Swiss firm was blacklisted for a year by the Ministry of Defence on charges of corrupt practices employed by the firm to bag the deal for the IAF in 2012.

The ban was, however, partially lifted a few months later for the IAF to maintain its fleet of 75 basic trainer aircraft.

In March, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract with the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to procure 70 HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft for the IAF at a cost of over Rs 6,800 crore. Manufactured by HAL and indigenously designed and developed by its Aircraft Research & Design Centre, HTT-40 is powered by a four-bladed turboprop engine.

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The aircraft is aimed at meeting the shortage of basic trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force for the training of newly-inducted pilots and the contract includes procurement of associated equipment and training aids including simulators. The aircraft are scheduled to be delivered over six years.

Amrita Nayak Dutta

Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies. In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence. She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read More

Rahul V Pisharody

Rahul V Pisharody is Assistant Editor with the Indian Express Online and has been reporting for IE on various news developments from Telangana since 2019. He is currently reporting on legal matters from the Telangana High Court. Rahul started his career as a journalist in 2011 with The New Indian Express and worked in different roles at the Hyderabad bureau for over 8 years. As Deputy Metro Editor, he was in charge of the Hyderabad bureau of the newspaper and coordinated with the team of city reporters, district correspondents, other centres and internet desk for over three years. A native of Palakkad in Kerala, Rahul has a Master's degree in Communication (Print and New Media) from the University of Hyderabad and a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. ... Read More

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