Indian C-130J Crashes, No Survivors

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An IAF C-130J Super Hercules, one of six aircraft inducted three years ago, crashed today in Central India. There were no survivors. The aircraft took off from Agra at 10am and crashed about 72 miles west of the Gwalior Air Force station, one of the IAF's largest. A court of inquiry has been ordered. The aircraft belonged to the 77 Squadron based at Hindon. 

Deepest condolences to the families of the 5-man crew:

1. Wg Cdr Prashant Joshi - Captain
2. Wg Cdr Raji Nair - Co-pilot
3. Sq Ldr Kaushik Mishra - Trainee pilot
4. Sq Ldr Ashish Yadav - Navigator
5. Warrant Officer Krishna Pal Singh - Systems Operator

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha said, "It is very unfortunate that we have lost five of our brave warriors in a tragic accident today. It is a sad moment for all of us and we share the grief with the family members. C-130J is a modern aircraft which was inducted into the IAF in 2010. In the last three years of its operations we have exploited capabilities of this aircraft during Uttarakhand floods and landing at DBO, which is the highest landing ground in the world. Needless to say, that the best pilots have been chosen to fly these aircraft. Events like these are painful reminders of the inherent risks which our brave airwarriors face in the execution of our daily mission. While the IAF will conduct a thorough enquiry into the accident to ascertain exactly what led to this accident, the IAF remains committed to provide the best possible equipment and training to our personnel so that they can execute their assigned missions professionally."

Lockheed-Martin has issued this statement: “We are saddened to hear the news of the C-130J accident in India today and our thoughts and prayers are with the crew and their families at this time. We are ready to provide assistance as requested by the Indian Air Force.”