LUCKNOW: A MiG-29 fighter jet crashed into fields during a routine training sortie in Donga village in Kagaraul, near Agra in Uttar Pradesh, following a technical glitch. According to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Defence sources, the pilot ejected successfully and is safe.
The aircraft had taken off from Adampur in Punjab and was en route to Agra for a routine exercise when the incident occurred on Saturday. Sources indicated that the pilot manoeuvred the jet to avoid causing damage to life or property on the ground before ejecting.
An IAF statement confirmed that an official inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident. "The pilot ensured the safety of the people on the ground before ejecting safely," Defence sources stated.
Visuals from the crash site showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the wreckage, as local villagers gathered. The crash reportedly caused a series of blasts, according to local witnesses.
Villagers promptly informed the civilian authorities, and senior district administration officials, including the District Magistrate and district police chief, arrived at the scene. The fire brigade also reached the site to extinguish the flames.
This is not the first time a MiG-29 fighter jet has crashed and burst into flames. On 2nd September, another MiG-29 aircraft crashed in Barmer, Rajasthan, after experiencing a technical snag.
In that incident, the pilot managed to eject safely. The aircraft, on a training mission from an Air Force base in the Barmer sector, developed a fault and caught fire, crashing into a field near Uttarlai in Barmer, which was unpopulated.