Tragedy Strikes IAF: Two Pilots Lost in Rajasthan Jaguar Accident
Churu, Rajasthan – July 9, 2025
A routine training exercise turned into a tragedy for the Indian Air Force (IAF) today when a twin-seater Jaguar trainer aircraft crashed near Churu in Rajasthan, resulting in the deaths of the two pilots. The crash is the third IAF Jaguar crash this year to have brought fresh questions about the ageing fleet.
Tragic Incident
The aircraft had taken off from the Suratgarh airfield and crashed in a field of crops at the village of Bhanoda at around 1:25 PM. The area was seen to be hit by a loud explosion, followed by a column of dense smoke. The area was promptly dealt with by area officials, the police force, and the fire departments, who later sealed the area for investigation.
The IAF, in a public statement on their X handle, condemned the fatalities and extended condolences to the families of the deceased. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to identify the cause of the accident. While the names of the deceased pilots haven't been officially announced yet, sources identify them as Squadron Leader Lokendra and Flight Lieutenant Rishi. Sources indicate that pilots were attempting to exit the aircraft out of city limits when it crashed.
This was the third crash of a Jaguar in 2025. In March, there was a Jaguar crash in Haryana, but the pilot had ejected safely. In April, there was a Jaguar crash in Jamnagar, Gujarat, and one pilot died while the other pilot was hurt.
The Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar was inducted into the IAF during the later years of the 1970s. While the IAF has also upgraded the fleet, like the DARIN-III programme, the frequent accidents have left question marks over the safety and longevity of such vintage aircraft as the IAF remains one of the lone air forces in the world still operating the twin-jet Jaguars.
Forensic Significance of the Tragedy
1. Victim Identification
- DNA Profiling: In high-impact fatal accidents, bodies are highly fragmented and burned, making visual identification a practical impossibility. Forensic examination of remains (bone, tissue, tooth fragments) and comparison with ante-mortem samples (family members, medical histories) is required to identify correct deceased pilots (Squadron Leader Lokendra and Flight Lieutenant Rishi).
- Dental Records and Fingerprints: While less prone to survive in such disastrous crashes, existing dental records and any fingerprints that might be obtained would also be utilized for identification.
2. Cause of Accident Determination (Technical Forensics)
- Wreckage Analysis: The wreckage debris is required to be subjected to forensic examination. This involves:
- Material Science: Inspection of the disassembled components for signs of material fatigue, manufacturing defects, or stress cracks. This may ascertain if a failure in one of the components initiated the crash.
- Impact Analysis: Inspection of the impact site, debris field, and impact crater to reconstruct the path, velocity, and direction of impact of the aircraft. It helps establish the order of events that led to the crash.
- Component Inspection: Detailed inspection of major systems like engines, flight control, hydraulics, and avionics to ascertain signs of malfunction or failure.
- Fire and Explosives Analysis: Inspection of burn patterns and residue on the wreckage to ascertain the origin and cause of any fire, and whether an explosion occurred prior or at impact.
3. Black Box Data Retrieval and Analysis
- While not specifically stated to have been recovered within this specific article, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) are the most critical piece of forensic data.
- DFDR: Records many flight parameters (airspeed, altitude, engine functioning, control surface movement), buildingPublisher: The Hindu a minute-by-minute history of the state of the aircraft leading up to the accident.
- CVR: Recorders cockpit conversation, ambient noise, and radio communications, providing evidence of pilot actions, communication, and alarm or abnormal noises. Forensic audio examination of the CVR may reveal pilot incapacitation, system warnings, or extraneous noises.
4. Human Factors Analysis (Forensic Pathology and Toxicology)
- Pilot Incapacitation: Forensic autopsy of the pilots would be done to establish the cause of death and exclude or determine any medical condition (e.g., heart attack, stroke, seizure) or physiological factor (e.g., hypoxia, G-LOC) that could have incapacitated them.
- Toxicology: Pilot pilots' blood, urine, and tissue samples would be analyzed for alcohol, prescription or illegal drugs, or other agents (e.g., carbon monoxide) which may have affected their performance or judgment.
- Injury Patterns: Studying the pattern and type of injury received by the pilots can give insight into the forces associated with the crash and may verify their positions and behaviors inside the cockpit at the time of the crash. This may also illuminate the performance of safety gear.
5. Environmental and External Factors
- Weather Data: Although not technically forensic, combining meteorological information (weather, wind shear, visibility) with the forensic data can provide insight into whether environmental conditions played a part in the accident.
- Bird Strikes/Foreign Object Damage (FOD): Forensic inspection of the airframe and engines will yield clues of bird strikes or other foreign object damage, which may have resulted in system failure.
6. Systemic and Operational Investigations
- Maintenance Records: Forensic examination of maintenance logs and service records may disclose whether the aircraft had any prior problems or whether maintenance procedures were correctly observed.
- Training and Procedures: The inquiry will also examine training procedures and operational protocols to determine any weaknesses that could have been a contributing factor. This is especially applicable considering the Jaguar's old fleet and history of crashes.
Conclusion
The article ends by noting the fatal loss of two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots while in a Jaguar trainer jet crash in Rajasthan, the third fatal accident involving a Jaguar aircraft for the IAF in 2025. The main points from the conclusion of the article are:
- Fatal Accident: Both pilots on the plane, Squadron Leader Lokendra and Flight Lieutenant Rishi, suffered fatal injuries.
- Routine Training Mission: The accident took place while on a routine training mission.
- No Civilian Casualties: The pilots are said to have manoeuvred the plane away from populated regions, avoiding injury to civilian life or property on the ground.
- Court of Inquiry: The IAF has commenced a Court of Inquiry to ascertain the precise reason behind the accident.
- Ageing Fleet Concerns: The article raises implicit and obvious concerns regarding the ageing Jaguar fleet, which was commissioned in the late 1970s and has experienced several crashes this year. One of the only air forces in the world to still have these aircraft in service is the IAF. Although modifications such as DARIN-III have been made, the frequency of incidents points towards issues that must be addressed.
References
- Both pilots dead as IAF Jaguar fighter jet crashes in Rajasthan's Churu; 2nd mishap in 3 months | Jaipur News - Times of India
- IAF jet crash: Two pilots killed in third Jaguar crash this year; probe ordered to determine cause - The Hindu
- IAF Fighter Jet Crash Claims Pilot's Life in Rajasthan's Churu District
- IAF orders probe after Jaguar aircraft crash kills two pilots in Rajasthan
- Jaguars Were First Inducted In IAF In 1970s. Three Have Crashed Since March
- IAF's MIG-21 Fighter Aircraft Crashes in Rajasthan, Both Pilots Dead
- Rajasthan: IAF'S Mig-21 aircraft crashes in Barmer, both pilots dead
