In Photos: IAF Pilot Killed in Gwalior Air Base Crash, Cremation at Belagavi
Hanumanth Rao Sarathi, 36, was a Wing Commander flying the Mirage 2000 that crashed on 28 January.
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On Saturday, 29 January two Indian Air Force fighter jets that took off from Gwalior Air Base crashed. The jets – Sukhoi Su-30, manned by two pilots, and Mirage 2000, manned by one, – had a mid-air collision. Wing Commander Hanumanth Rao Sarathi, 36, pilot of Mirage 2000 was killed in the accident.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
Hanumanth Rao hailed from Belagavi, Karnataka and was based in Gwalior.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
Hanumanth Rao's father served in the Indian Army and retired as an Indian Army Captain. Hanumath Rao's brother, Praveen Sarathi, is a pilot in Indian Air Force.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
Relatives of Hanumanth Rao were at his funeral held at Ganeshpur in Belagavi. He is survived by his wife and two children.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
Rao was laid to rest with full state honours.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
In the past year there have been two major IAF flight crashes. In December 2021 General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff, was killed in a chopper crash.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
The Indian Air Force is investigating what caused the jet crash. Hanumath Rao was commissioned in 2009.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
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