An Indian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet crashed near Rajasthan's Barmer on Monday due to a technical defect, but the pilot safely ejected, and no loss of life or damage on the ground was reported.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) announced in a post on X that "during a routine night training mission in the Barmer sector, an IAF MiG-29 encountered a critical technical snag, prompting the pilot to eject. The pilot is safe, and no casualties or property damage occurred. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered".
During a routine night training mission in Barmer sector, an IAF MiG-29 encountered a critical technical snag, forcing the pilot to eject. The pilot is safe and no loss of life or property was reported. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) September 2, 2024
Barmer's Superintendent of Police Narendra Meena informed the PTI news agency, "The plane crashed tonight in Barmer. The incident took place away from populated areas. Fire tenders have been unable to reach the crash site due to difficult terrain."
In a related incident on June 4, an IAF Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter had jet crashed near Shirasgaon village in Nashik at around 1:20pm. Both the pilot and co-pilot ejected safely. After the crash, the aircraft caught fire, which was later extinguished. Debris from the jet was scattered over a 500-meter radius.
Teams from the IAF and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) security and technical wings visited the crash site.
Earlier in March, a Tejas aircraft crashed near Jaisalmer during an operational training sortie. The pilot safely ejected before the crash. The IAF issued a statement saying, "One Tejas aircraft of the Indian Air Force met with an accident at Jaisalmer today during an operational training sortie. The pilot ejected safely. A Court of Inquiry has been constituted to determine the cause of the accident."
