Flying Officer Kartik Thakur was born on 21 March 1994 and hailed from Lahla village in Lad-Badhol Tehsil of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh.
He joined the Indian Air Force as part of the 18 Short Service Commission (Men) Flying Pilot Course and was commissioned as a Flying Officer on 16 December 2017. His service number was 35874 F(P). After commissioning, he was initially posted in Hyderabad and was later attached to Kalaikunda Air Base in West Bengal for further training.
On 15 September 2018, while undergoing training at Kalaikunda, Flying Officer Kartik Thakur suffered a fatal accident during a swimming session at the base. Reports state that he suffered a severe head injury and subsequently drowned. Despite immediate medical efforts, he could not be saved.
He was only 24 years old and had served in the Indian Air Force for less than a year. His untimely death was a tragic loss to the Indian Air Force and his family.