Assam: Two Air Force pilots killed in crash near river island of Majuli
Wing Commanders Jai Paul James and D Vats lost their lives during a routine sortie.
A microlight aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed in Assam on Thursday during a routine sortie, ANI reported. The wreckage of the aircraft, which had taken off from the Jorhat air station, was found at the Sumoi Mari village, near the river island of Majuli.
The two pilots on board who lost their lives were identified as Wing Commanders Jai Paul James and D Vats, News 18 quoted Defence Public Relations Officer Harsh Wardhan Pande as saying.
Air Commodore SK Verma, the commanding officer of the Air Force station in Jorhat, said that a court of inquiry has been set up to investigate what caused the crash.
“We got information around 1 pm from IAF than one of their aircraft had gone off the radar,” Majuli Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha told the Hindustan Times. “Locals near Sumoipari informed [us] about the crash. A police team has reached the spot and investigations are on.”