IAF MiG-27 Fighter Aircraft Crashes In Jodhpur Due To Technical Glitch

A MiG-27 fighter aircraft of an Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, due to a technical snag while carrying out a routine mission on Tuesday.

The pilot was able to escape unhurt, defence spokesperson Colonel Sombit Ghosh was quoted as saying by Zee News.  The aircraft had taken off from the Jodhpur airbase before it crashed in the field.

The pilots avoided dense residential colonies and the jet crashed on an open field in Dewliya village near Banad, Ghosh added. A major accident was averted by the timely decision of the pilots, he said.

A fire brigade was sent to the spot. Several Air Force officers and police personnel reached the site.

According to the report, two-to-three fighter planes were flying when one of them was seen emanating smoke. It came down suddenly with a loud noise and the area was engulfed in thick smoke.  The pilots were taken to a hospital in an air ambulance.

A court of inquiry will investigate the cause of the accident.