Two jets of the Indian Air Force’s Suryakiran Aerobatic Team crashed in Bengaluru a day before the Aero India show is set to commence, NDTVreported.
The accident took place during a rehearsal session ahead of Wednesday’s mega-show.
The pilots of the jets ejected after the collision, however one is said to be in a serious condition and was rushed to a nearby medical facility.
The accident took place at the Yelahanka airbase in north Bengaluru.
Aero India 2019 will be held between February 20 and 24 and thousands of visitors are expected to attend the five-day event.
Bengaluru has been hosting the aero show since it started in 1996. The last Aero India show was held in February 2017.
Earlier in February, two Indian Air Force pilots were killed on when their French-built Mirage 2000 aircraft crashed minutes after take-off.
The single-engine jet fighter aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation was on a test flight after an upgrade carried out by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The Indian Air Force suffers from a high rate of aircraft crashes, mostly blamed on lax maintenance and safety regimes. Although the service outnumbers the Pakistan Air Force on paper, a significant number of its aircraft remain grounded for want of spares and maintenance.
