Indian Air Force Mig-29 aircraft crashes in Punjab’s Nawanshahr; pilot ejects safely.
(Harjit Lasara, 8 May)
In a tragic incident, a Mig-29 aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed at Chuhadpur village of Nawanshahr on Friday, superintendent of police, SBS Nagar, Wazir Singh Khaira said. According to the information, the pilot ejected safely right before the crash. The pilot had ejected from the plane at Hoshiarpur’s Rurki Khas village in Garhshankar before the aircraft crashed. Reportedly, he has been identified as MK Pandey. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Mig-29 aircraft airborne on a training mission from an Air Force base near Jalandhar met with an accident.
According to the information, the aircraft had developed a technical snag and the pilot ejected safely as he was unable to control the aircraft. The pilot has been rescued by a IAF helicopter.
According to an IAF statement, the aircraft had got airborne from a base near Jalandhar at 10.45 am and developed a technical snag after the take-off. Saving the residential areas, the pilot manoeuvred the aircraft to the empty fields where it crashed as the pilot was unable to control it. The wheat fields caught fire after the crash, which was later controlled. The pilot ejected safely but ended up with minor injuries. Seeing the aircraft crashing, the people of the village working in the fields ran towards the spot.
The pilot was helped by the villagers and information was given to the police and the administration. A court of inquiry has been ordered to establish the exact cause of the mishap.
