Air Force jet drops fuel tank mid-air near Coimbatore, creates 3-ft deep crater

Coimbatore: An Indian Air Force jet dropped a 1,200-litre fuel tank over empty farm land near Coimbatore while flying a routine “sortie” on Tuesday.

The plane, a Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, managed to land safely at Sulur Air Force Station.

Fire was reported from where the fuel tank fell on the ground and caused a three-foot deep crater.

According to PTI, defence sources said “all safe”, indicating no injuries.
However, Air Force source said that it is unclear why the tank fell. The investigation has been ordered into the incident.

Tejas is the first advanced fly-by-wire fighter aircraft designed, developed and made in India. It is manufactured by Bengaluru-headquartered Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and equipped with a satellite-aided Inertial Navigation System.