A Sukhoi-30 (Su-30)-MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed just after landing while on a routine mission here on Tuesday afternoon. Both pilots managed to eject safely seconds before the crash, after which the aircraft caught fire.
The aircraft had taken off from the Lohegaon airbase near Pune at 12.40 p.m., and the crash occurred around 1.30 p.m. near Wagholi in Pune, Commanding Officer of the IAF, V.R. Choudhary said.
“An enquiry has been ordered into the incident. The search for the black box is now on. The reason for the crash is still unknown,” Mr. Choudhary said. The pilots reportedly lost contact with the base after a technical problem.
The aircraft caught fire immediately after it crashed on an open field, local residents said. The burnt remains of the aircraft were strewn across the field. No casualty was reported on the ground, according to IAF officials.
Pune Collector Vikas Deshmukh said fire tenders from the vicinity rushed to the spot. The IAF personnel and the police reached the spot, Mr. Deshmukh said.
Keywords: Indian Air Force, Sukhoi fighter plane, Sukhoi crash, Court of Inquiry
