Rewari: The Yadav family in Rewari, Haryana, suffered a tragedy when their cherished son, Indian Air Force pilot Siddharth Yadav, died late yesterday night in a Jaguar fighter plane accident near Jamnagar. As they recall their courageous son who gave his life to save another, the family is struggling with pride and anguish over the occurrence.

Around 11 p.m., the commanding air officer broke the heartbreaking news to Siddharth’s father, Sushil Yadav. Siddharth had died in the collision, the officer told him, but one pilot had been saved.

“The commanding air officer called last night at around 11 am and informed us about the incident that an aircraft had crashed, one pilot was rescued and another pilot, our son, had died,” he said.

Sushil Yadav cherished his son’s memory as a gifted student who always brought honor to the family. In January 2016, Siddharth enrolled in National Defence Academy (NDA) course 135 and was engaged to be married on March 23.

His father was happy about his son’s achievements, saying, “In January 2016, he enrolled in NDA course 135.” He was an exceptional learner. He had always made us proud.

With Sushil Yadav himself having served in the Air Force and his father and grandparents having served in the army, the Yadav family has a long history of military service. Since Siddharth was their only son, his sacrifice has caused the family much sorrow in addition to pride.

“I am very proud of him; he lost his life while saving a life, but it is also a matter of grief as he was my only son,” said Sushil.

In the meanwhile, medical officials reported that the wounded pilot who was rescued after the Indian Air Force Jaguar aircraft crashed in Jamnagar, Gujarat, last night is now stable and safe.

The pilot was diagnosed with a broken leg and is undergoing treatment for it, according to Dr. Deepak Tiwari, the superintendent of Guru Gobind Singh Government Hospital.

Shortly after taking off from Jamnagar Airfield, a two-seater Jaguar aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed during a nighttime operation, the IAF said Thursday.

The IAF’s Media Co-ordination Centre on X said that the pilots had a technical issue while in flight and had to evacuate in order to protect the airstrip and the populous areas around.

“During a nighttime operation, an IAF Jaguar two-seater aircraft that was flying from Jamnagar Airfield crashed. In order to prevent damage to the airstrip and nearby residents, the pilots triggered ejection in response to a technical issue. Regretfully, one pilot passed away from his wounds, while the other is undergoing treatment at a Jamnagar hospital,” the statement said.

“IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family,” the IAF said in a statement expressing its sympathy.

In the meanwhile, the IAF has mandated a Court of Inquiry to look into the accident’s cause and identify the conditions that led to the technical failure.