IAF Jaguar Trainer Aircraft Crashes in Rajasthan, Both Pilots Killed
A Jaguar trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed on Wednesday afternoon during a routine training mission in Rajasthan’s Churu district, tragically killing both pilots on board.
According to a statement from the IAF, the aircraft went down near the village of Bhanoda around 1:25 pm. "An IAF Jaguar Trainer aircraft met with an accident during a routine training mission and crashed near Churu in Rajasthan, today. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident. No damage to any civil property has been reported," the statement read.
The IAF expressed deep sorrow over the loss, saying, “IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief.” A court of inquiry has been set up to investigate the cause of the crash.
Rajaldesar SHO Kamlesh confirmed that the aircraft came down in an agricultural field, avoiding any civilian casualties or property damage.
A Series of Crashes
This incident is the latest in a series of IAF training aircraft crashes in recent months.
Just three months ago, in April, another two-seater Jaguar crashed shortly after taking off from the Jamnagar Airfield in Gujarat during a night training mission. The aircraft reportedly suffered a technical malfunction mid-air. While both pilots attempted to eject, only one survived. The other pilot, Siddharth Yadav, later died from injuries sustained during ejection.
In March 2025, a fighter jet crashed in Haryana’s Panchkula district during a routine training sortie. The pilot managed to steer the jet away from populated areas before safely ejecting. The IAF attributed the crash to a system malfunction and ordered an inquiry.
A month earlier, in February, a Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft crashed near Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh. Fortunately, both pilots ejected safely before impact.
In November 2024, a MiG-29 fighter jet crashed into a field near Agra, Uttar Pradesh, due to a technical fault during training. The pilot was able to eject safely in that case as well.
