IAF aircraft crashes on Thiruporur-Nemmeli Road near Chennai; pilot ejects safely

An Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft crashed on Friday (November 14, 2025) afternoon on the Thiruporur-Nemmili Road near Chennai. The pilot miraculously ejected himself to safety. The accident occurred at around 2 p.m.

A Defence spokesperson said the aircraft, ‘Pilatus PC-7,’ which was on a routine training mission, crashed near Thiruporur. A Court of Inquiry (COI) has been ordered to ascertain the cause. The pilot was taken by an air ambulance, and further investigation is under way.

Defence personnel collect parts of the aircraft that crashed near Thiruporur
| Photo Credit:
M. Karunakaran

Local residents said a loud noise was heard on the Thiruporur-Nemmeli Road that connects East Coast Road (ECR) with Rajiv Gandhi Salai at around 2 p.m. where the aircraft crashed near a salt factory compound wall. K. Sivaraman, a resident of Thiruporur, said his aunt who lives nearby had called him to say she heard a loud explosion.

The pilot being helped into an air ambulance on the Thiruporur bypass near Thandalam
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“I got a call at 2.10 p.m. The pilot who parachuted to safety fell on the Thiruporur bypass on the median near Thandalam. He was lucky to have fallen a few metres away from the high tension power lines. Though the police and an ambulance reached the spot, he refused first aid and waited for the air ambulance that arrived at around 3 p.m.,” Mr. Sivaraman claimed.