Investigation in Surya Kiran crash stuck, IAF to send black box of crashed plane abroad

The black box of one of the two Hawk aircraft of the Surya Kiran aerobatic team, which crashed at Aero India, will be sent abroad for downloading data since it got damaged extensively in the accident.

Two Hawk trainer jets of the Indian Air Force had crashed on February 19 in Bengaluru a day before the Aero India show in which one pilot Wing Commander Sahil Gandhi lost his life.

While Wing Commander Gandhi was flying his plane alone, the other plane was being flown by Wing Commander Vijay Shelke and Squadron leader Tejeshwar Singh. During the practising spins, the two jets spiralled out of control mid-air.

"The black box of one of the two Hawk planes has been damaged and needs to be sent abroad for retrieving data," sources in Air Force said.

The data of the plane being flown by Wing Commander Gandhi has been retrieved and it suggests that his plane was fully balanced during the practice session, they added.

Now the accident investigators are waiting for the data of the plane to analyse the exact cause of the crash.

The original equipment manufacturer BAE Systems help will also be taken in retrieving the data from the damaged flight data recorder.

The Surya Kiran team was formed in 1996 with the objective to serve as "ambassadors" of the Indian Air Force and showcase their mettle. After Aero India 2011, the Surya Kirans were grounded because the Air Force faced a shortage of training aircraft. The aerobatics team was back in 2017 for Aero India, after a six-year hiatus.