Flt Lt KS Kumara Krishnan

Flt Lt KS Kumara Krishnan was born on 25 Nov 1966. He got selected for the prestigious NDA after completing his school education and joined the 73rd NDA Course. He passed out of NDA on 01 Dec 1987 and went for further training as a pilot of the IAF. He was commissioned in the flying branch of the IAF on 17 Dec 1988 at the age of 22 years. He was trained as a transport pilot as part of the 142 Pilots' Course. He soon gained proficiency in flying various types of transport aircraft and was promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

Operational Air Mission : 24 Dec 1996

During Dec 1996, Flt Lt KS Kumara Krishnan was serving with Navigation and Signals School (N&SS) now known as Navigation Training School located at Air Force Station Begumpet in Hyderabad. The unit was operating HS-748 Avro aircraft, a twin-engine turboprop military transport and freighter of British origin. The aircraft, which could carry 48 paratroopers or six tonnes of freight, was inducted in the IAF fleet in the 1960s. On 24 Dec 1996, Flt Lt K S Kumara Krishnan was assigned an operational task as a co-pilot with Flt Lt Harita Kaur as captain of the aircraft.  On that day, after the Passing Out Parade (POP) at Air Force Station Tambaram, the No 3 Airforce Band had to be flown back to Hyderabad. Flt Lt K S Kumara Krishnan along with Flt Lt Harita Kaur as co-pilot took off from Chennai in their HS-748 Avro aircraft ( H-1032) as planned.

After getting airborne in the evening, they covered half the distance and were over Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, when some emergency was noticed. Flt Lt KS Kumara Krishnan and Flt Lt Harita Kaur tried to take emergency measures to control the aircraft but did not succeed.  Very soon thereafter, the aircraft dived and crashed into ground near Dubagunta village. The crash apparently resulted from fatigue failure of the support of the right engine’s jet pipe. It dipped down and damaged the fuel pipeline leading to fire and fracture of the right wing.  In this ill fated crash Flt Lt KS Kumara Krishnan and Flt Lt Harita Kaur lost their lives along with 22 other personnel. Thus the life of a fine Air Force officer and a committed soldier was lost in this unfortunate accident. Flt Lt KS Kumara Krishnan was a professionally competent pilot and dedicated air warrior, who laid down his life at the age of 30 years in the line of his duty.