Indian Air Force Kiran (HJT-16) Crash

An Indian Air Force HJT-16 Kiran trainer crashed in an open field near Bhogapura village, in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka, during a routine training sortie flown from Air Force Station Bengaluru. Both pilots ejected before impact; one sustained a spinal injury and the other facial injuries, and no civilians on the ground were hurt. The service ordered a court of inquiry. The Kiran has served as the Indian Air Force's intermediate jet trainer since the 1960s, bridging basic propeller instruction and advanced jet conversion, and by 2023 the ageing fleet was being run on pending a replacement.