A MiG-29 fighter jet belonging to the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Agra on Monday during a routine training sortie. The aircraft, which had taken off from Adampur in Punjab, encountered a system malfunction while en route to Agra for an exercise. Fortunately, the pilot managed to eject safely before the crash.
In a statement, the Indian Air Force confirmed, “A MiG-29 aircraft of the IAF crashed near Agra during a routine training sortie today, after encountering a system malfunction. The pilot manoeuvered the aircraft to ensure no damage to life or property on the ground before ejecting safely.” The IAF has ordered an inquiry to determine the cause of the accident.
This incident is the latest in a series of crashes involving IAF fighter jets. On September 2, another MiG-29 crashed during a night training mission in Rajasthan’s Barmer sector due to a critical technical snag. The pilot was unharmed, and no injuries or property damage were reported, according to a statement from the IAF. Barmer’s Superintendent of Police, Narendra Meena, noted that the September crash occurred in a sparsely populated area and that the aircraft caught fire upon impact.
Earlier this year, on June 4, an IAF Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jet crashed near Shirasgaon village in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. Both the pilot and co-pilot successfully ejected before the aircraft caught fire, which was later contained. The crash scattered debris over a 500-meter radius, prompting a thorough investigation by teams from the Indian Air Force and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The recent crashes have raised concerns about the operational safety of IAF’s aging fighter jets. With multiple incidents occurring within a short span, the IAF is conducting investigations to ensure future training sorties and technical checks are more robust.
Sources By Agencies