A Jaguar fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed close to Shahbad Markanda town in Haryana soon after taking off from the Ambala air base station on Thursday afternoon. The pilot, however, managed to eject safely.
The aircraft had taken off from Ambala air force station. Soon after, it is learnt to have developed a technical snag and the pilot gave a distress call. The pilot steered the aircraft away from the inhabitations before ejection. The aircraft crashed in Landi village, close to Shahbad town in Kurukshetra district, about 65 km from Chandigarh.
A team of IAF personnel reached the crash site from Ambala by helicopter. Several other teams also drove to the crash site and the pilot was rescued and taken away for treatment.
Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police Simardeep Singh said, the pilot had sustained minor injuries in the crash which took place around 1:15 p.m.
Since the aircraft crashed in the fields, Mr. Singh said that there was no casualty on the ground where the plane fell.
A large number of people from nearby villages reached the site on hearing about the crash. But the site was secured by the police and the Air Force personnel for recovery of essential data recorders to know the cause of the accident.
