The latest information provided by the family sources is that the funeral will take place the soon after arrival on Saturday afternoon. In view of the nature of the crash and resultant injury resulting in death, the funeral could not be delayed. So, contrary to the earlier information of the funeral to be held on Sunday, it will take place on Saturday, immediately after the arrival of the mortal remains at the airport early afternoon.

Update, Friday, Jan 19, 12-10 pm

Mortal Remains may Arrive on Saturday, Funeral Soon after the Same Day

by Richie Lasrado from Kuchikad, Kulshekar

When the Daijiworld team visited the mourners at "The Nest", located at a depression on Kuchikad road opposite Kalpane bus stop in Kulshekar on Friday morning, the house was encircled in a pall of gloom.

As friends and well-wishers came to convey their condolences, Lt Col John Serrao (Retired), father of the late Flt Lt Ronald Serrao, who died in a tragic Jaguar crash in the Pokharan area in Rajasthan, was finding it difficult to control his grief. His younger brother Gregory Serrao, a well-wisher of Daijiworld from Padua-Nantur, was providing him with much support and solace. He is also helping the family with the funeral and other formalities.

Ronald Kevin posing with the Jaguar he flew

Carrying the Mass offerings on his wedding day with Deepika in Delhi church on April 29, 2006

Ronald and Deepika on the wedding day with their parents

Ronald as best man at his brother Kenneth's wedding

A close relative, David Fernandes, recalled that Ronald and Deepika had come down to Mangalore shortly before Christmas 2006 and happily spent their time with Ronald's parents. David also said Ronald was a quick-footed dancer and was a very jovial person. Deepika hails from Delhi and is also a pilot (Flt Lt) in the IAF. They got married just over eight months ago in Delhi (on April 29, 2006) She is also expected to fly with the mortal remains to Mangalore.

Kenneth and family were to airdash from Mumbai on Friday morning.

The big bunch of albums containing photographs of elder brother Kenneth's wedding in Mangalore, where Ronald was the best man and Ronald Kevin's wedding with Deepika in Delhi, followed by a grand reception in Mangalore will only remain as tokens of his memory for the parents.

In our presence, the family received a call from Air Marshal A K Singh from the air headquarters and he spoke to Gregory. According to their information Ronald's mortal remains would be flown from Ambala in Punjab to Mangalore on Saturday, January 20 by a special IAF plane, provided the long procedure of armed services post mortem is completed by then.

The special plane is expected to arrive in Mangalore around 2 pm. The body will be first taken to the residence  "The Nest", Kuchikad Road, Opp Kalpane Bus Stop, Kulshekar and then to the Holy Cross Church, Cordel-Kulshekar at 2 pm on Sunday, January 21, followed by Mass.

26-year-old Mangalorean IAF Fighter Pilot Ronald Serrao Dies in Jaguar Crash

by Richie Lasrado, Resident Editor, Daijiworld.com

Thursday,  9-30 pm IST
 

Mangalore, Jan 18: Flight Lieutenajt Ronald Kevin Serrao (26), hailing from Kulshekar-Kuchikad here, was killed on Thursday, January 18 when an IAF Jaguar fighter aircraft blew up mid-air, while taking part in a live air-to-ground firing exercise in Pokharan range in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan.

Ronald, son of Lieutenant Colonel John Serrao and Dr Jessica Serrao, had joined IAF four-and-a-half years ago. He married Deepika, also a Flight Lieutenanat in the IAF on April 29, 2006. Tragedy struck Ronald on Thursday, a day after he turned 26 on Wednesday, January 17, 2007.

The Serrao couple have an elder son Kenneth, who lives in Mumbai. A grieving Col Serrao, displaying excellent composure and equanimity, spoke to Daijiworld with full details.

Air force sources said that the fighter aircraft got off the Naal airbase near Bikaner at 4-40 pm on a live firing mission and crashed within minutes between Delasar and Dhaysar villages, located at 55 kms from Jaisalmer.

The sources also said that the deep-penetration Jaguar aircraft were inducted in the late 1970's and had only recently undergone a comprehensive upgradation of its radars, avionics, engines etc.

Maritime operations were also conducted with the help of Jaguars. The debris of the fighter plane, which was blown into pieces, was spread over large sand dunes between the two desert villages, said the air force sources. The cause of the accident will be ascertained by a court of enquiry, said the IAF sources further.

The police sources said the body of the pilot had been located.

After the completion of formalities, the body might be brought to Mangalore, said the family sources.

Further updates will be posted on this website.

News Agency Reports:

AF pilot killed in Jaguar crash

New Delhi: An Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar combat jet crashed in Rajasthan Thursday killing its lone pilot, officials said.

The aircraft had taken off from the Nal air force base in north Rajasthan and crashed at 4.40 p.m. at the Pokhran range near Jaisalmer in west Rajasthan, over 600 km from state capital Jaipur, an IAF spokesman here said.

The name of the pilot will be released after the next of kin is notified, the spokesman added.

'The aircraft was on a routine range training flight. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the crash,' the spokesman said, adding a court of enquiry had been ordered into the accident.

'So far, there are no reports of loss of civilian life,' he said.

This is the first IAF crash this year. Seven jets had crashed last year. They included three MiG-29s, two MiG-21s, a MiG-27 and a Suryakiran of the IAF's aerobatic display team. In addition, two Suryakirans were involved in a close shave during a display over Ahmedabad but both managed to land safely.

In June, the IAF had called a press conference to announce its lowest ever accident rate in four decades of 0.44 percent for every 10,000 flying hours.

Technical details of Jaguar

Courtesy: Indian Air Force

Aircraft - Jaguar

Country Of Origin - Anglo-French

Power Plants - Two 23.7kN (5320lb) dry and 35.8kN (8040lb) with afterburning Rolls Royce/Turbomenca Adour Mk 104 turbofans.

Performance - Max. speed : mach 1.6
Max. speed at sea level: 1350 km/hr
Max. rate of climb : *** ft/min
Service ceiling: 45,930 ft
Range with max. fuel: 1408 km
Intercept radius with four AAM's: 852km .

Weight - Empty approx : 7,700kg
                      Max. take off : 15,700kg

Dimensions - Span : 8.69m
Length : 15.52m
Height : 4.92m
Wing area : 21.18 sq.m

Accommodation - One

Armament (fixed) - Two 30 mm Aden guns.

Armament (disposable) - It has 7 underwing hardpoints. Two above wing (for AAMs only) hardpoints four underwing fitted with the Sea-Eagle missile and one centerline hardpoints for 4540 k (10,000lb) or ordance including bombs and rockets.

Operators - Ecuador, France, India, Nigeria, Oman and UK.

History -  A Franco/British project, the result of collaboration between the British Aircraft Corporation (Now British Aerospace) and Dassault-Breguet, The SEPECAT Jaguar was first flown on September 8, 1968, as a single-seat attack aircraft with limited all-weather capability. It was Intended to serve both the Armee de 1'Air and the RAF; the French Jaguar A entered service first, in May 1972. The RAF took delivery of its first GR.Mk 1 in May 1973. A well-equipped tactical strike-fighter, it's equipment included an inertial navigation system, a head-up display and laser ranger. From 1983, navigation upgrades resulted in the GR.Mk 1A. Some were able to perform a secondary reconnaissance role. The GR.Mk 1B and two-seat T.Mk 2B was introduced in 1995 with the TIALD pod, which allows a Jaguar to deliver its own laser-guided weapons.

• Also read:   Another Ronald Serrao, Another Martyr in Uniform