What is Pilatus PC 7 Mk II Aircraft, Which Crashed in Telangana & Why IAF Uses it for Training Pilots

Two Indian Air Force pilots were killed on Monday after a Pilatus PC 7 Mk II aircraft crashed during a routine training sortie in Telangana’s Medak district.

“A Pilatus PC 7 Mk II aircraft met with an accident today morning during a routine training sortie from AFA, Hyderabad. It is with deep regret that the IAF confirms both pilots onboard the aircraft sustained fatal injuries,” Indian Air Force said on X (formerly Twitter).

The Swiss-made aircraft fleet had an accident-free record ever since its inception in the Indian armed forces and has been the backbone in training rookie pilots for the IAF.

All About Pilatus PC 7 Mk II Aircraft

The Pilatus PC 7 Mk II aircraft is a single-engine aircraft, on which IAF pilots undergo basic training. The turboprop trainer aircraft, produced by Pilatus Aircraft, is intended for the initial training and basic flight training of rookie pilots.

The aircraft has a length of 10.8 m, wing span of 10.19 m and a height of 3.26 m. The PC-7 Mk II can fly at a maximum altitude of 33,000 ft and has a horizontal cruise speed of 448 km per hour at sea level. The maximum operating speed of the aircraft is 556 km per hour, while the maximum range of the aircraft is 1,500 km.

Apart from the Indian Air Force, the aircraft has been in service with the South African Air Force (SAAF), Botswana Defence Force (BDF), Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Royal Brunei Air Force. More than 160 PC-7 Mk II trainer aircraft have been sold since its introduction in 1994 and but the manufacturer has received more than 600 orders from 21 air forces in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America and Asia.

Why are PC-7 Mk II Jets Used in IAF?

The induction of Pilatus aircraft PC-7 Mk II Training System has enabled IAF to revolutionise its basic pilot training capability.

Rookie IAF pilots go through a three-stage training involving the Swiss-origin Pilatus PC-7 Mk II planes, Kiran trainers and finally the British-origin Hawk advanced jet trainers before they can fly supersonic fighter jets.

Since the first delivery in February 2013, the PC-7 Mk II fleet successfully clocked a major milestone of 2 lakh accident-free flying hours earlier in February year. There are around 75 aircrafts in service.

But India is looking forward to replace the PC-7 Mk II fleet with indigenously designed Hindustan Turbo Trainer Aircraft-40 (HTT-40) for training rookie pilots.

Recent Crashes

The PC-7MkII fleet has been the bedrock of the IAF’s mission of producing the best military aviators in the world. The Pilatus PC-7 Mk II had a record in training flying and has trained more than 2,500 cadets and pilots of the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.

Though, the crash in Medak district in Telangana is believed to be the first crash involving the aircraft in India, the fleet has reported crashes abroad.

In February this year, the PC-7Mk II plane, which was being used as a medical transport plane, crashed during a winter storm in Nevada in the US, killing all five people on board. The single-engine Pilatus PC12 apparently broke apart before hitting the ground about 64 kilometres southeast of Reno.