Flight Lieutenant, Squadron Leader: IAF pilots killed in Rajasthan crash

Identities of IAF pilots killed in the crash have been established – Squadron Leader Lokender Singh Sindhu, 32, and Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh.

Updated on: Jul 10, 2025, 11:44:57 IST

By HT News Desk

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The two Indian Air Force pilots killed in a Jaguar trainer aircraft crash in Rajasthan's Churu have been identified as 32-year-old Squadron Leader Lokender Singh Sindhu, and Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh.

People gather as an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper lands at an area where an IAF Jaguar Trainer aircraft crashed, killing two pilots, in Churu. (PTI)

The Squadron Leader hailed from Haryana's Rohtak and the Flight Lieutenant was from Rajasthan's Pali.

During a routine training mission, an IAF Jaguar Trainer aircraft crashed in near Churu in Rajasthan on Wednesday, making it the third incident of this kind since March. "Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident. No damage to any civil property has been reported," the IAF earlier said in a statement.

An eyewitness recalled seeing a sudden plume of smoke after the crash in Rajasthan, and said that the pilot on board tried his best to avoid any any harm to civilians.

"Parts of the pilot's body were found scattered...One diary of the IAF was also found, and we handed it over to the SHO...Pilot tried his best to protect the village, I can say it for sure (avoid a crash there)," Rajdeep, the eyewitness, told news agency ANI.

However, the witness did not directly refer to any pilot, and it was not specified which pilot's diary was found and handed over to the police.

The Air Force has assured that court of inquiry has been constituted to assess the cause behind the accident, which has also raised alarm because it is the third such incident in over four months.

The accident preceding the one in Rajasthan took place on April 2, in which a pilot was killed after a Jaguar jet crashed at a village near Jamnagar IAF station.

Before that, a system malfunction led to a Jaguar jet crashing shortly after take-off from the Ambala air base on March 7.

Jaguar is a British-French fighter aircraft that India started inducting in the 70s.

(With PTI inputs)

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