Air Force's Tejas aircraft crashes in Rajasthan, IAF orders inquiry

An Indian Air Force aircraft has met with an accident in the desert sector in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. A Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas of the Indian Air Force crashed near Jaisalmer today during an operational training sortie, 100 kilometres away from where PM Modi is in Pokhran.

The pilot ejected safely, the IAF informed. The LCA Tejas was part of the 18th Squadron of the Indian Air Force and participated in the tri-services exercise Bharat Shakti in Pokharan before crashing in Jaisalmer city.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident, the IAF informed. Prima Facie, it is emerging that the engine failure caused the crash today but more details would be known only after the detailed inquiry is completed, defence officials told news agency ANI.

Notably, this is the first Light Combat Aircraft crash witnessed by the IAF. 

Jaisalmer Additional Superintendent of Police Mahendra Singh said there was no loss of human life in the crash near Kalla and Jawahar residential colonies. A portion of a hostel building was damaged but there was no one inside at the time, added another police official.

Thick black smoke was seen billowing from the single-storey brick structure. Scores of people stood at a distance as the mangled remains of the plane smouldered.

According to a PTI report, an eyewitness told reporters that the pilot had ejected shortly before the crash occured. "As soon as the plane hit the ground, there was a loud sound," PTI quoted the eye witness.

The accident comes even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Rajasthan's Pokhran, where he met with delegates from more than 30 countries. The PM and other delegates witnessed the tri-service exercise 'Bharat Shakti' in Pokhran, Rajasthan on Tuesday.

The mega 'Bharat Shakti' exercise to demonstrate the prowess of indigenously manufactured defence equipment of the three services took place in Rajasthan's Pokhran firing range on Tuesday with PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief General Manoj Pande in attendance.

LCA Tejas, ALH Mk-IV, LCH Prachand, mobile anti-drone system, BMP-II and its variants, NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier), T90 tanks, Dhanush, K9 Vajra and Pinaka rockets are among the platforms that were demonstrated at Pokhran, about 100 km from Jaisalmer city.

The exercise was held for about 50 minutes.

(More details awaited…)