Pilots of third jet witnessed mid-air collision; air commodore to probe accident

An air commodore of the Indian Air Force will probe Saturday's mid-air collision that led to loss of a pilot and two fighter jets. The probe will look at the flight data recorders, air controller records and statements of two pilots who witnessed the collision from a third combat aircraft.

Sources said on Saturday morning, three fighter jets were engaged in 2 Vs 1 combat practice after taking off from Gwalior. As the exercise progressed, a Mirage 2000 and a Su 30MKI met with an accident. The Mirage instantly crashed, killing Wing Commander Hanumanth Rao Sarathi. The damaged Su 30MKI remained airborne for some distance, giving time for both pilots to safely eject from the stricken aircraft.

It is learnt that the mid-air incident was witnessed by two pilots from another Su 30MKI taking part in the training drill. Their testimony will be vital in the findings of the court of inquiry that will establish the exact cause of the accident. According to an insider, Mirage 2000 was playing aggressor as part of the training.


Such drills are a vital part of fighter pilot training and prepares them for combat. The exercise was conducted by Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment, a premier IAF institution for combat pilots. Only a handful of mid-air collisions involving military aircraft have been recorded in the past few decades. The last collision took place in 2019, when two Hawk trainers from the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team were practising for a flying display for AeroIndia at Bengaluru.