IAF's Sukhoi, Mirage aircraft crash in MP's Morena; one pilot killed

Earlier in the day, Bharatpur Superintendent of Police Shyam Singh had said an aircraft crashed in an open field in the Ucchain area

Tragedy struck the Indian Air Force on Saturday when two of its front line combat jets – a Su-30 MKI and a Mirage-2000 - crashed killing Wg Cdr Hanumanth Rao Sarathi, the pilot of Mirage-2000, minutes after taking-off from the Gwalior Air Base while the two pilots in the Su-30 ejected safely.

The French origin Mirage-2000 crashed at Morena in Madhya Pradesh while the Russian Su-30 was in the air probably for a couple of more minutes before going down at the adjoining Bharatpur district of Rajasthan as the pilots managed to eject at the nick of time.

A Court of Inquiry set up by the IAF after the crash would, among other things, investigate whether there was a mid-air collision. Though there are past records of MiG-21 and other old aircraft experiencing mid-air collision, such accidents are rare with Su-30 and Mirage-2000 which are two of the IAF’s finest and most stable fighter jets.

“Two fighter aircraft of IAF were involved in an accident near Gwalior today morning. The aircraft were on routine operational flying training mission. One of the three pilots involved, sustained fatal injuries. An inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident,” the IAF said in a brief statement.

“The IAF deeply regrets to inform that Wg Cdr Hanumanth Rao Sarathi suffered fatal injuries during the accident. All air warriors and the fraternity stand strongly with the bereaved family.”

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The accident involving two fighter jets comes four years after a deadly mid-air collision by two ‘Surya Kiran’ Hawk trainer jets over Bengaluru while rehearsing for Aero-India. That time too one pilot died while two others managed to eject.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was briefed by the Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari on the crash.

"Deeply anguished by the loss of brave air warrior, Wg Cdr Hanumanth Rao Sarathi, who suffered fatal injuries during an accident near Gwalior. My deepest condolences to his bereaved family. We stand by his family in this difficult hour," the defence minister said on Twitter.

The officials said recovery of the flight data recorders of the two aircraft would throw light on what led to the crash.

Morena Collector Ankit Asthana said the debris of both the aircraft fell in the Pahargarh area of the district. Some debris also fell in Rajasthan's Bharatpur, which borders Madhya Pradesh, he added.

According to the Defence Ministry’s official records, there were 105 aircraft accidents during each year of the 11th (2007-2012) and 12th Plan (2012-2017). The number of aircraft accidents has reduced from an average of 13 accidents per year in 11th plan to an average of 8 accidents per year in 12th plan.

During the 13th five year defence plan (2017-2022) an average of six accidents per year have taken place. In 2020-21, the accident rate was the lowest in the last 50 years with the IAF claiming that the accident rates dropped by one-third in the last 20-25 years.

Aviation historian Anchit Gupta tweeted that mid-air collisions were not that uncommon and at least 64 aircraft were lost and 39 pilots were killed in such collisions in the last seven decades in India. The list includes 11 MiG-21 and five Jaguars. But it’s a first for both Su-30 and Mirage-2000.