Drop tank of Tejas falls off in Kovai, leaves crater on farmland

“One fuel drop tank fell off from a Tejas aircraft on a routine sortie from the Sulur Air Base near Coimbatore at 8.40 am. The aircraft landed back safely after the incident. No damage was reported on the ground. The cause of the incident is being investigated,” said a statement from Indian Air Force (IAF).

The tank, which fell off after catching fire mid-air left a three-foot crater on the farm. Villagers, who heard the loud explosion saw a huge object engulfed in fire and rushed to the field to find parts of the tank scattered all over. They initially thought that it was an aircraft that crashed on the field.

The villagers informed the local police that they found scattered parts of the aircraft. Later, a team of officials from Sulur air force station arrived at the spot and collected scattered pieces of the tank.

According to sources, the 1,200-litre tank developed a technical snag, forcing the pilot to drop it off on a farm field to avoid any mid-air crisis. The villagers have sought the IAF to compensate for the loss they incurred after the crash. They said that the oil has mixed with the soil and it will affect the land’s fertility.