ISTANBUL

An Air Force training aircraft crashed on Friday in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, according to a statement by the Indian Air Force on US social media company X.

The pilot ejected safely before the Swiss-made “Pilatus PC-7” crashed into the ground in Chengalpattu district near the state capital Chennai, and “no damage to civil property has been reported,” the statement said.

The aircraft was on a routine training mission when the incident occurred around 2.25 pm (1155GMT).

“A Court of Inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of accident,” it said.

Parts of the aircraft were seen strewn across the ground, according to video shared by the Press Trust of India.