On 12th March 1961, Flying Officer, V. Ganesan of the Auxiliary Air Force, along with Flying Officer C.R. Mohan (Aux. A. F.) while on an instrument flying training exercise in a Harvard aircraft, was faced with an emergency due to excessive vibration of the engine. In spite of corrective action by Flying officer Ganesan, the aircraft continued to lose height. As captain of the aircraft he ordered flying officer Ram Mohan to abandon the aircraft, which he did. As he was about to follow suit flying officer Ganesan noticed a village in the immediate vicinity. Appreciating that the aircraft, if abandoned, would crash in the village and possibly cause death or injures to a number of innocent people, he stayed back and manoeuvred the aircraft away from the village. In doing this, he was fully aware of the risk to his own life but even so in deliberate disregard of his personal safety he attempted a crash landing away from the village and sacrificed his life.

Flying Officer Ganesan displayed airmanship and courage of high order and has set a noble tradition of bravery and self sacrifice for the Auxiliary Air Force.