MIG-27 crashes in West Bengal; pilots ejects to safety

Kolkata/New Delhi, Oct 23 (PTI) An Indian Air Force
(IAF) MiG-27 fighter jet on a routine training sortie Friday
crashed in a tea garden near New Jalpaiguri in India's eastern
state of West Bengal but the pilot managed to eject safely.

This is the ninth IAF Aircraft crash since January
this year.
"The aircraft was on a routine training sortie from
the Hashimara airbase and crashed at around 1310 hours, nearly
15 kilometres from its take off base near New Jalpaiguri," IAF
officials said.
The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Gautam, managed to
bailout safely before the aircraft crashed, they said.
The IAF has ordered a Court of Inquiry to investigate
the causes behind the crash, they said.
This accident also marks the second Russian MiG-27
crash this year. The earlier mishap took place on May 15 at
Jodhpour when the pilot had bailed out safely.
The IAF also lost three MiG-21s this year with the
first one recorded on May 27 at Jodhpur, the second on June
18 in Chabua in India's northeastern state of Assam and third
on September ten at Baliana in northern state of Punjab.
The other crash this year was that of SU-30MKI, the
first ever Sukhoi crash of the IAF, on April 30 at Jaisalmer
in northern state of Rajasthan when one of its test pilots
Wing Commander P S Nara was killed. MORE PTI NCB
ANU


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