Prototype aircraft crashes at Hosur

The two-seater plane is set to replace Kiran Mark-3 and will be inducted into the Indian Air force shortly; pilot error is suspected to be the cause behind the crash

Prototype aircraft crashes at Hosur

The two-seater plane is set to replace Kiran Mark-3 and will be inducted into the Indian Air force shortly; pilot error is suspected to be the cause behind the crash

The Indian Air Force will replace Kiran with the S-3466, as the former has clocked the stipulated 6,000 hours and will soon be obsolete

Indigenously built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the two-seater plane is a replacement for Kiran Mark-3, which will be inducted into the Indian Air Force shortly. However, pilot error is suspected to be the cause behind the crash.

It may be recalled that an IJT had crashed during the Aero Show in 2007as a result of a technical problem with the canopy.

Breaker
HAL Chairman AKM Nayak clarified, "The jet crashed following an unintended manouvere, but both pilots ejected and are safe."

When asked whether unintended manouvere means technical or pilot error, he said, "It is something unexpected happened and it could be termed as an unavoidable circumstance."

The jet was under design and development exercise, but neither officials nor the chairman knew the names of the pilots flying the jet.

Breaker
When asked about the recurring mishaps involving IJT, he said that the earlier incident was a long time ago, and that the reason for the latest one is different.

Although it is presumed that the crash occurred because of pilot error, the actual cause could only be confirmed after a detailed investigation.

Meanwhile, HAL has constituted a court inquiry into the matter as per norms.

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