The two pilots of Sukhoi-30 MKI, which had gone missing on May 23, have died because of fatal injuries, said the Indian Air Force on Wednesday. Squadron Leader D Pankaj and Flight Lieutenant S Achudev could not initiate ejection before the jet crashed about 60 kms from the Tezpur Airbase. “Analysis of the flight data recorder of the aircraft and certain other articles recovered from the crash site revealed that the pilots could not initiate ejection before the crash,” said IAF spokesperson Anupam Banerjee said, according to PTI.

Earlier on May 30, the search and rescue teams had found a blood stained shoe, half-burnt PAN card and a wallet of one of the two pilots, reported NDTV. The Indian Air Force had ordered a Court of Inquiry into the jet accident.

The plane had gone missing on May 23 while two pilots on board were conducting a routine sortie. A Sukhoi-30 and C-130, as well as helicopters were deployed for the massive search operation besides nine Army teams.

Even though the wreckage was spotted during an aerial recce on May 26 in a forest, the search teams reached the crash site only on May 28 because of bad weather and difficult terrain. The flight data recorder from Sukhoi-30 MKI was recovered from a forested area in Arunachal Pradesh.