IAF pilot killed in Jaguar cremated with full military honours

The last rites of 28-year-old Indian Air Force pilot Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav, who lost his life in a fatal Jaguar aircraft crash in Jamnagar, was held at his native village Majra Bhalkhi in the Rewari district of Haryana. He was cremated with full military honours.

Yadav and Group Captain Manish Kumar Singh, 43, Commanding Officer of 224 Squadron Jamnagar, were in the twin-seater fighter aircraft when it took off for a night training mission from the Jamnagar airbase. Minutes later it crashed near Suvarda village, located 12 kms from Jamnagar. Videos from the site showed the burning aircraft lying in the open fields. No civilian casualty was reported.

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While Singh escaped with a fractured leg and burn injuries, Yadav could not survive. The Group Captain is currently undergoing treatment at the Military Hospital.

An alumnus of National Defence Academy (NDA), Yadav was recently engaged and was slated to tie the knot in November. Speaking to the media, his father, Sushil Kumar, an IAF veteran, said his son had resumed duty on March 31 following his engagement on March 23.

Stating that the family was proud of Yadav, the grief-stricken father said that the young officer had lived up to his family’s tradition and values. Yadav is survived by his parents and a younger sister.

In a statement on X, the IAF said, “IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.”

“The pilots faced a technical malfunction and initiated ejection, avoiding harm to the airfield and local population,” the statement added.

In March, another Jaguar had crashed after encountering a technical defect during a routine training sortie, in Panchkula Haryana. The pilot had ejected to safety before the aircraft crashed into open fields.