IAF pilot killed in plane crash

The pilot, who had joined the Surya Kiran Aerobatics team recently, was on the Kiran Mk II trainer aircraft, when the mishap occurred at 8.45 hours.

An IAF fighter pilot on a training sortie was killed when a Surya Kiran trainer aircraft crashed in Bidar on Wednesday morning.

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The pilot, who had joined the Surya Kiran Aerobatics team recently, was on the Kiran Mk II trainer aircraft, when the mishap occurred at 8.45 hours, IAF sources told PTI.

The aircraft took off from Bidar and the crash took place a few minutes later at a vacant plot near the air force station.

No loss of civilian life or property was reported due to the crash, the sources said.

The Air Headquarters immediately ordered an inquiry into the mishap.

This is the second fatal Surya Kiran air mishap in the last six years, the previous one reported in March 2006 at the same air base when two pilots were killed.