PRAYAGRAJ, Jan. 22 -- A two-seater Indian Air Force (IAF) microlite trainer aircraft made a forced landing in a pond here on Wednesday after it experienced a technical malfunction, officials said. No injuries or damage to houses in the area were reported in the incident. The aircraft was performing a routine training sortie when it suffered a snag mid-air. Both IAF officers on board were safely rescued, they added. The pilots activated the emergency system, forcing the aircraft to descend and land in a pond near KP Training College around 12.15pm, triggering brief panic among locals. The lightweight aircraft had taken off from the Bamrauli Air Force Station. Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud noise and found the aircraft partially submerged in the pond. Locals played a crucial role in rescuing the pilots before emergency teams arrived, the officials noted. "We were ready to break open the aircraft canopy if needed, but the pilots were pulled out safely in time," said one of the locals who participated in the rescue. Police and district administration officials reached the site soon after the incident and cordoned off the area to regulate the crowd and ensure their safety. The aircraft was later pulled to the edge of the pond and secured. A preliminary inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the cause of the emergency landing. Microlite aircraft are commonly used by the IAF for training, surveillance and familiarisation flights, and are designed for low-altitude operations. Confirming the incident, Wing Commander Debartho Dhar, public relations officer (Defence), Prayagraj Region, said the microlite trainer aircraft developed a technical glitch mid-flight, forcing it to make an emergency parachute landing around 12.15 pm. "Both the IAF officers on board the aircraft have been rescued and are safe," he said. In an official statement on X, the Indian Air Force said: "A Microlite aircraft of the IAF, while undertaking a routine sortie from AF Station Bamrauli near Prayagraj at 1215 hrs on January 21, 2026, experienced a technical malfunction, and was safely force landed in an uninhabited area, ensuring no damage to civil life or property. Both pilots on board are safe. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause."...