Hisar mourns loss of IAF pilot killed in crash

A pall of gloom has descended on the Police Lines area of the city where parents of Wing Commander Sahil Gandhi, who was killed in the mid-air crash between two aircraft of Indian Air Force's aerobatic team Surya Kiran near Bengaluru, reside.

The body of the pilot is yet to reach the home town.

Sahil's father Madan Mohan Gandhi is a retired bank officer while his mother Sudesh Gandhi retired recently as Head of Department of College of Home Sciences of Haryana Agricultural University (HAU).

Sahil studied inCampus School of HAU and joined the Air Force in 2004, family members here said.

The IAF officer is survived by wife Himani and five-year-old son Rayan.

Himani is a software engineer and is working in the United States. She is likely to reach the city by tonight.

Sahil's elder brother Nitin works as an engineer in a company in Sweden.

After receiving information about the demise of Sahil, local MLA Dr. Kamal Gupta visited his house here and condoled the death.

Two aircraft of IAF's aerobatic team Surya Kiran had crashed after grazing each other mid-air near Bengaluru on Tuesday, killing Sahil and injuring two pilots who ejected to safety during rehearsal for the Aero India show.