The crash of a multi-role twin engine MiG-29 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force, approximately 5 km from Jamnagar air station, between Amran and Vasai villages, on Friday morning has raised an alarm in the defence establishment here. This is because a MiG-29 aircraft had crashed on June 25 this year at Khambhalia taluka of Jamnagar district, while another also of Jamnagar air station had crashed in the Gulf of Kutch in 2008. This single seater conceptualized in Russia is considered a great combat aircraft. However, a series of accidents involving MiG-29s of late is a matter of worry, particularly after the demonization of MiG-21s, another exceptionalfighter, for this very reason, experts said. Fortunately, the pilots flying these MiG-29s that crashed in Gujarat all had a miraculous escape. Flight Lieutenant Dhruv Shukla was flying the MiG-29, which crashed at 11.29am on Friday in Jamnagar. He ejected safely, but the aircraft was broken into several pieces. Shukla was first taken to civil hospital before being rushed to Jamnagar base hospital of the Indian Air Force. Shukla was on a routine sortie, but it is still not known whether he was doing a formation flying or was on a solo mission. Experts said it appears the aircraft was returning to the base when the pilot ejected for the reasons best known to him. There was no damage on the ground to any civil life or property. Meanwhile, a court of inquiry has been ordered by the South Western Air Command to investigate the cause of MiG-29 aircraft’s crash between Amran and Vasai villages on Friday. Significantly, the pilot of the multi-role air superiority aircraft that crashed in the Gulf of Kutch in 2008 had experienced trouble when flying at 18,000 feet. He had ejected at a height of 6,000 feet. There have been accidents of other types of IAF aircraft too in Gujarat in the recent past. A MiG-21 ‘Bison’ fighter aircraft crashed at Drufi village in Naliya about 100km from Bhuj in Kutch district in November 2012. The pilot escaped with back injuries. The aircraft belonged to No. 3 squadron of Air Force’s Ambala airbase and was in Gujarat for some exercise. However, nine IAF personnel lost their lives in a tragic accident in August 2012 when two Mi-17 helicopters collided during a practice for a bombing mission at Sarmat range in Jamnagar.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Nov 2013 08:17:12 +0000
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