IAF Hawk trainer jet crashes in Odisha, pilot safe

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Advanced Hawk Jet (AJT) trainer crashed along Odisha-Jharkhand border with the pilot reportedly ejecting at the last minute to save his life, said police on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Subarnarekha River bed near Mahulatangili village under Jharpokharia police station limits of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district 350 km from here. The impact of the accident was so severe that the jet was reduced to a mangle of metal and parts of the jet got buried under sand. The seriously injured pilot was admitted into Bahadaguda hospital in Jharkhand.

“Our police and fire personnel had rushed to the spot to attend injured one. We do not have any idea whether the jet was on operational duty or making training sorties. A pilot was rescued from the spot,” said Awinash Kumar, Superintendent of Police of Mayurbhanj, told

The Hindu over phone. A team of IAF has already reached the spot and started rescue operation.

Mr. Kumar said the cause of the crash would be ascertained only after detail investigation by appropriate authority. The AJT had met with an accident after getting airborne from Kalaikunda on a routine training sortie.