Wing Commander K Praveen, Wing Commander DK Shah and Squadron Leader S. Ilyaraj meet the end in a Saras aircraft crash at Bangalore

A Saras Prototype II, an indigenously developed multi-role transport aircraft, which was on a test flight, crashed near Bidadi, 30 km from Bangalore, on Friday killing three Indian Air Force officers. The reason for the crash is yet to be ascertained.
Designed and developed by National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL), the aircraft took off from HAL Airport at 2.55 p.m. before coming down around 3.30 p.m. near Seshagirihalli off Bangalore-Mysore Highway. Wing Commander K. Praveen the captain of aircraft, co-pilot Wing Commander D.K. Shah and flight test engineer Squadron Leader S. Ilyaraj were charred to death as the aircraft burst into flames soon after it crashed in an open field, a few hundred meters away from Seshagirihalli colony that has around 100 houses.
According to NAL officials, the aircraft lost contact with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at 3.30 p.m. It was on a routine test flight, officials said. The aircraft was supposed to be doing a profile of engine off.
Sources said that such sorties were done twice a day and the aircraft took the same route for its training sorties.
“We saw the aircraft coming down abruptly and followed the direction in which it went. It turned abruptly and started losing height. After a couple of somersaults in mid-air, it crashed. I could notice smoke from a distance,” said Anand, an eyewitness. “As we went close, we heard two loud blasts. Except the tail-end of the aircraft, everything was burnt,” he added. Mr. Anand, a resident of Ramanagara, who was driving with his friend on the Mysore Road, claimed he informed the Ramanagara police immediately.
While five fire tenders were rushed to the spot, Mr. Anand said everything was burnt by the time the fire engines reached the spot.
Fearing for their safety, a few residents of Seshagirihalli Colony who rushed to the spot did not venture near the burning aircraft as they heard another explosion. The three experienced pilots along with the aircraft had taken part in the recently concluded Aero India 2009.
While Wing Commander Praveen (35) was a resident of Bangalore, Squadron Leader Ilyaraja (33) was from Villupuram in Tamil Nadu and Wing Commander Saha (34) was a native of Mumbai.
Aircraft debris, including the propeller and parachute, were found strewn around the area, and some partially burnt parts were recovered as much as 500 metres away from the crash site.
As the surging crowd threatened to run over the crash site, the police cordoned off the area to help the Indian Air Force officials locate the data recorder, cockpit voice recorder and other details that could provide reasons for the crash.
The charred bodies that were beyond recognition were salvaged from the debris around 7 p.m., and shifted to Command Hospital here. Two rescue helicopters with some officials of the NAL and IAF were sent to the spot.