IAF's Hercules crashes!

A recently-acquired C-130J transport aircraft of the IAF crashed in the Chambal region during an exercise around 11am on Friday, killing all five personnel on board. The crash has baffled the force. Experienced pilots said an accident of this nature was almost improbable unless something very unusual happened aboard the aircraft. A pilot speculated that either the crew was incapacitated or a fire may have broken out in the aircraft.
The five who died are Wing Commanders P Joshi and Raji Nair, Sq Leaders K Mishra and A Yadav, and Warrant Officer Krishna Pal Singh.
The C-130J transport aircraft of the IAF crashed in Maharajpur village near the Chambal river in Rajasthan’s Karauli district. The aircraft took off from Agra along with another aircraft at 10 am. Around 11am, it nosedived into Gola Ghat near an alligator breeding area in the Chambal. Sources said the aircraft seemed to be on fire, and the pilots probably diverted the plane from the village towards the river to avoid casualties on ground.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha said it was a sad moment for the IAF and incidents like this were “painful reminders of the inherent risks which our brave air warriors face in the execution of our daily mission”. He said the IAF would conduct a thorough inquiry. “In the last three years of its operations, we have exploited capabilities of this aircraft during the Uttarakhand floods and landing at Daulat Beg Oldi, which is the highest landing ground in the world. Needless to say, the best pilots have been chosen to fly these aircraft,” he said.
The accident has sent shockwaves through the IAF and the government as the C-130Js are among the latest aircraft with the force and among the most agile and safe planes in the world. The C-130J, which is meant for operations like movement of special forces and difficult landings, has an impressive safety record. Starting sometime in the 1950s with the US military, the C-130 is among the world’s most recognizable military aircraft and has participated in numerous military campaigns. Last time South Asia saw a C-130 crash was when an aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force carrying dictator General Zia-ul-Haq and the US ambassador Arnold Lewis Raphel crashed on August 17, 1988.
There have been only two C-130J crashes since it joined service — British operated C-130J rough-landed but there was no casualty, while a Royal Norwegian Air Force C-130J crashed in March 2012 killing all five on board.