Two pilots of the Indian Air Force's Surya Kiran formation aerobatics team were killed when their plane crashed Saturday in the southern state of Karnataka, dpa reported. The accident occurred when the tail of one plane hit another during a routine practice session, PTI news agency reported quoting an air-force official. The damaged plane crashed into a field on the outskirts of Bidar town, about 700 kilometers north of the Karnataka capital Bangalore. The pilots killed were identified as squadron leader S Singh and wing commander D Bhatia. The Indian air force's Surya Kiran (sun ray) team comprises pilots experienced in flying fighter aircraft including the Mirage 2000, Jaguar and MiG series. They fly the indigenously manufactured Kiran Mark II trainer aircraft in precision formations at air shows. An inquiry had been ordered into the crash, the air-force official said.
