'Very bright, his career had just begun': Family recalls IAF pilot Rishi Raj killed in Jaguar plane crash
Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh and Squadron Leader Lokender Singh Sindhu lost their lives in the crash, which took place in an agricultural field near Bhanoda village around 1:25 pm on Wednesday.
The Indian Air Force later said in a statement that no damage to any civil property has been reported. An eyewitness had reportedly said that the pilot "tried his best to protect the village".
Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh hailed from Rajasthan's Pali. His cousin Harshraj Singh spoke to news agency PTI and said that Rishi was very young, adding that "his career had just begun".
Harshraj expressed anguish over the death of his cousin and said that he had never seen Rishi's father break down before.
The late flight lieutenant's cousin also revealed that Rishi was "selected in the NDA in his first attempt". He heaped praises on Rishi and said he was "very bright, had a good nature, and was a great brother".
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Squadron Leader Lokender Singh Sindhu hailed from the Kheri Sadh village in Haryana's Rohtak.
Sindhu's elder brother, Gyanendra, while speaking to news agency ANI, said that his brother made the "highest sacrifice" a soldier can make for his nation.
"He died while serving his country. He died while saving civilians. My family and I are very proud of him," he added. The Squadron Leader also became a father just a month ago, in June.
ALSO READ | IAF pilot killed in Jaguar crash became a father in June, rejoined duty over week ago
His wife Surbhi Sindhu, a doctor, gave birth to a baby boy on June 10 at her parental home in Hisar. She was still there when she received the news of her husband's passing.
Sindhu's brother revealed that he had just joined duty on June 30 after celebrating the birth of his son.
"We talked on text 3 hours before the accident and on a video call the night before. As per the information we got, there was a technical fault with the craft because of which it started crashing over a densely populated area. They managed to fly the craft away from that area, but in the process, their craft got very close to the ground," Gyanendra added.
He further noted how in a Jaguar Trainer, if the aircraft gets below 500 feet, then ejection is not possible. "That's why the copilots could not eject from the plane," he added.
The Indian Air Force has constituted a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident.
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