IAF jet crashes in Rajasthan's Churu; both pilots killed
What's the story
An Indian Air Force fighter jet crashed near Bhanuda village in Rajasthan's Churu on Wednesday. In a statement, the IAF said both the pilots were killed during a routine training mission, but there was no damage to any civil property. "A court of inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident," it wrote.
Villagers
Ynclear what caused the crash
Villagers reported hearing a loud explosion in the sky, followed by flames and smoke billowing from the fields. District Collector Abhishek Surana and police personnel have rushed to the scene. An Army rescue squad is also expected to arrive to secure the area and conduct an investigation. At this point, it is unclear what caused the crash, but sources told India Today TV that the jet crashed during a training sortie.
Accident
IAF's Jaguar jet crashes in Jamnagar
This incident comes two months after a Jaguar trainer jet of the IAF crashed near Jamnagar in Gujarat. The crash took place in April during a routine sortie and resulted in the death of one pilot. The other pilot was able to safely eject from the aircraft, officials confirmed. The IAF has six squadrons of these deep penetration fighter jets.
Twitter Post
Visuals from the crash site
Rajasthan fighter plane crash : Ratangarh के भानुदा गांव में fighter Jet क्रैश, 1 शव बरामद
— Anil Thakur (अनिल ठाकुर) (@Anil_NDTV) July 9, 2025
IAF plane crash in Churu #planecrash #Ratangarh pic.twitter.com/nFUoC7QQDm
Past incident
Another Jaguar jet had crashed in March
On March 7, another Jaguar fighter jet had crashed during a routine sortie at Ambala due to a system malfunction. The pilot had successfully maneuvered the aircraft away from populated areas on the ground before ejecting safely. The Jaguar is a twin-engine fighter bomber with single- and twin-seat configurations that is widely utilized by the IAF. It was first inducted in the late 1970s and has since undergone many upgrades.