Helicopter pilot killed in Bangalore air show crash
Fri Feb 2, 2007 5:06 PM IST
BANGALORE (Reuters) - An Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was killed on Friday when his locally-built helicopter crashed while landing during rehearsals for an international air show.
"The co-pilot was killed on the spot. It was not a mid-air collision," an IAF spokesman said, adding the pilot was in hospital in a serious condition.
It was not clear what caused the crash.
Combat aircraft from the US, Russia, UK and France will take part in the show, which begins in Bangalore on Feb. 7.
The helicopter was built by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., India's flagship aircraft manufacturing company, and is used by IAF for aerobatic shows as part of its "Sarang" team.
It was the second accident involving an IAF team in a year.
Two pilots were killed during training in Karnataka last March.
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