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National

Aircraft crashes during flight test

Staff Reporter

HAL constitutes court of inquiry

The flight occupants landed 650 ft. away from the crash site on parachutes
Pilot unconscious, co-pilot sustained severe leg injury

KRISHNAGIRI: An Indian Air Force training aircraft crashed in the Udedurgam Reserve Forests in Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu, on Thursday evening. Eye-witnesses said the pilot and the co-pilot ejected from the flight. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bangalore said that the incident occurred during flight-testing.

The aircraft crashed about 35 km away from Hosur, bursting into flames.

The flight occupants — two squadron leaders — landed 650 ft. away from the crash site with the help of parachutes.

Both the occupants of the aircraft were injured — one became unconscious and the other sustained a severe leg injury. They were taken to Bangalore by an IAF helicopter.

The pilot and co-pilot were later identified as Squadron Leader Bathra and Squadron Leader Mathu.

District Forest Officer A.K. Ulaganathan, Assistant Conservator C.H. Padma, and other forest officials and employees from Denkanikottai Range co-ordinated for airlifting the injured Air Force officials from the crash site.

Black box sought

While one helicopter was used to airlift the injured officers, the Air Force personnel in another, set about the task of locating the Black Box.

Later, in a press release, T. Sudhakar Rao, Executive Director (HR) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said the aircraft that crashed was an Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT).

The incident occurred when the prototype aircraft S-3466 was carrying out routine flight testing.

The accident occurred around 3.10 p.m. Both the test pilots on board ejected safely. The HAL had constituted a court of inquiry, which normally probed such incidents, the release added.

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