IAF's Hawk aircraft crashes near the Odisha-Jharkhand border, pilot ejects safely

New Delhi: A Hawk aircraft of Indian Air Force on Monday was crashed near the Odisha-Jharkhand border after taking off from Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal, official sources said.

The trainee pilot flying the aircraft ejected safely, they said.

The aircraft was on a routine training sortie. A court of inquiry has been ordered into the accident, said the sources.

Hawk is an advanced trainer jet.