A Sukhoi 30 and a Mirage 2000 aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed during a training exercise near Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, killing a pilot on Saturday morning.
Initial reports hinted at the possibility of a mid-air collision but there has been no official confirmation.
Two pilots of the Su-30 sustained injuries but the pilot flying the Mirage died after being wounded in the crash. Wreckage of one of the crashed jets was found in Morena in Madhya Pradesh and the other in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur, 100km away.
Both the fighter jets had taken off from the Gwalior Air Force base.
“The Sukhoi had two pilots while Mirage had one. Both aircraft are used on the frontline by the Indian Air Force. The two pilots on the Sukhoi managed to eject and sustained minor injuries and are now being treated at a hospital,” a defence ministry official said.
In a statement, the IAF said: “Two fighter aircraft of IAF were involved in an accident near Gwalior today morning. The aircraft were on routine operational flying training missions. One of the three pilots involved sustained fatal injuries. An inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.”
“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,” the statement added.
An IAF official said an investigation had already been ordered to examine the possibility of a mid-air collision that could have led to the crash. “The IAF has ordered a court of inquiry to establish the mid-collision angle,” he said.
Videos from the crash scene, shot by locals in Morena, showed debris from the aircraft on the ground. The accident took place around 5.30 am.
Sources in the defence ministry said defence minister Rajnath Singh was briefed by IAF chief Air Marshal V.R. Chaudhari on the crash.