An Indian Air Force (IAF) PC-7 Mk II trainer aircraft crashed near Tambaram, Chennai, today.
The crash took place around 14:25 hours during a routine training mission. The pilot ejected safely, with no reported damage to civilian property.
The crash site near Thiruporur in the Chengalpattu district witnessed a loud mid-air explosion before the aircraft went down, sources in the Indian Air Force said. The IAF has promptly constituted a Court of Inquiry to investigate the cause of the accident, which means they will scrutinise the mechanical, technical and operational factors.
Tambaram Air Force Station, located in Chennai, is a prominent IAF training center, hosting a squadron of about Pilatus PC-7 Mk II basic trainers that play a crucial role in instructing novice pilots.
The station also conducts advanced pilot training through its Flying Instructors School and houses other units including helicopter squadrons and mechanical training institutes. The PC-7 Mk II is a significant part of IAF’s basic flight training programme for air cadets.
This crash is part of a concerning pattern of IAF accidents this year. As per reports, 2025 has already seen a series of peacetime incidents resulting in the loss of at least five IAF aircraft and three pilots, including crashes involving Jaguar fighter jets and Antonov An-32 transport aircraft.
Back in December 2023, a crash of a PC-7 Mk II trainer near Dundigal, Telangana, killed two pilots.