MiG-27 aircraft on training mission crashes near Pokhran, pilot ejected safely

A MiG-27 aircraft airborne for a training mission from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan crashed at around 6:10 pm near Pokhran Range. According to reports, the pilot ejected safely. A Court of inquiry will investigate the cause of the accident. 

"A MIG 27 aircraft airborne from Jaisalmer crashed during a routine mission today evening. The pilot ejected safely. A Court of Inquiry will investigate the cause of the accident," Defence spokesperson Col Sombit Ghosh said.

Jaisalmer SP Kiran Kang said no casualty has been reported so far, and a police team is in touch with Air Force officials.

Earlier on Friday, a Mirage 2000 trainer fighter aircraft of the HAL crashed at Yemlur in Bengaluru. The Mirage had developed a technical snag right before take off and hit the wall near the Neal LCA gate at Old HAL airport in Yamalur. Though both the pilots managed to eject, both of them succumbed to their injuries.

On January 28. a Jaguar fighter plane crashed in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar. The plane had taken off from Gorakhpur. However, the pilot ejected safely using a parachute. 

In September last year, an Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG aircraft had crashed near Jodhpur in Rajasthan during a routine mission. The MiG 27 fighter jet airborne from Jodhpur came down near Devriya village. 

The pilots avoided dense residential colonies and the jet crashed on an open field.