Article Posted on : - Mar 06, 2010

Indian Navy's aerobatics team, Sagar Pawan, presenting an air show during India Aviation 2010 at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad on Wednesday. One of the aircrafts crashed into a residential building during the show.

PANAJI (PTI): The Sagar Pawan Aerobatic Team (SPAT), which was grounded after two of its pilots died in a crash during an air show in Hyderabad, is likely to be air borne soon, Navy officers said.

The Kiran MK-II trainer -- part of the four-plane SPAT -- had on Wednesday crashed into a three-storeyed residential building while performing aerobatics at the air show, killing its two pilots. The Navy had grounded the entire fleet of 20 Kiran trainer aircraft following the crash.

"I have no doubts in my mind that we will continue to do what we were expected to do," Capt Surendra Ahuja, Commanding Officer, INS Hansa, where Sagar Pawan is based, told reporters in the port town of Vasco on Friday.

"The naval headquarter can take the view later but as far as I am concerned we are going rolling again as ever," Capt Ahuja said.

Ahuja was speaking to reporters informally after both the deceased pilots -- Commander S K Maurya and Lt Commander Rahul Nair -- were given full State honours during their last rites here.

He claimed that SPAT, the team which started in 2003, is perhaps the only aerobatic team in the world which had safe and unblemished record.

"Even this performance (at Hyderbad) was over and aeroplanes were getting ready for landing," Capt Ahuja pointed out.

The family members of both the pilots were present today when their bodies were taken ceremoniously from INS Gomantak Naval Base to the crematorium.

The Navy gave 'shok shatra' honour to their colleagues, who lost their lives while performing for the nation.

"Two of them were the finest officers we had in the Indian Navy," Comdr Sudhir Pillai, Flag Officer Commanding, Goa Area, told reporters.