MiG-29 crashed near Agra; pilot escapes safely

NL Correspondent

Agra: Indian Air Force's MiG-29 fighter jet crashed into open fields near Agra, Uttar Pradesh during a training mission, here on Monday. According to sources, no casualties were reported and the pilot of the fighter aircraft successfully ejected to safety before the aircraft hit the ground and caught fire. As the aircraft fell on the ground it turned into a ball of fire in the blink of an eye with explosions heard far and wide at around 4 pm. After hearing the news of the crash, a large number of villagers gathered at the spot along with police personnel, IAF officers, and fire brigade. According to a Defense official, “A MiG-29 aircraft of the IAF crashed near Agra during a routine training sortie today due to a system malfunction. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft to prevent any damage to life or property on the ground before ejecting safely.” The IAF has initiated an inquiry to ascertain the reasons behind the incident. Sources indicate that the training flight originated from the Adampur air base, located near Jalandhar. The pilot has been transported to a military hospital in Agra for evaluation.