Daijiworld Media Network - Prayagraj

Prayagraj, Jan 21: An Indian Air Force (IAF) trainer aircraft crashed into a pond during a routine training flight near Prayagraj airport on Wednesday. Emergency teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) divers and fire tenders, quickly reached the site to secure the area.

Both pilots were rescued safely, officials confirmed. Eyewitnesses reported that the small propeller-driven plane appeared to lose control before diving into the water, with thick black smoke rising from the crash site. Local residents rushed to assist before emergency responders arrived. Visuals from the scene showed wreckage scattered around the pond as onlookers gathered nearby.

Authorities are continuing operations to recover the aircraft, and further details about the incident are awaited.

This comes after a similar incident in November last year when an IAF ‘Pilatus PC-7’ aircraft crashed near Tambaram in Chennai’s Chengalpattu district. The pilot ejected safely, and no civilian property was damaged. In both cases, the IAF has ordered formal probes to ascertain the causes of the accidents.