Barmer: IAF MiG-29 crashes during training mission, pilot ejects safely | WATCH

New Delhi: A MiG-29 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Rajasthan’s Barmer district on Monday night due to a technical defect. Fortunately, the pilot managed to eject safely, and no casualties or damage to property on the ground were reported. The incident occurred during a routine night training mission.

The IAF, in an official statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), confirmed, “During a routine night training mission in the Barmer sector, an IAF MiG-29 encountered a critical technical snag, forcing the pilot to eject. The pilot is safe, and no loss of life or property was reported. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered.”

More on the Barmer mishap 

Barmer's superintendent of police, Narendra Meena, told PTI that the crash took place in a remote area, away from populated regions. “The plane crashed tonight in Barmer. The incident happened away from a populated area. Fire tenders have not been able to reach the crash site due to difficult terrain,” he said. This incident follows another crash involving a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet on June 4, 2024, near Nashik, Maharashtra.

In that incident, the aircraft caught fire after crashing, but both the pilot and co-pilot ejected safely. Teams from the IAF and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) inspected the site afterward. The IAF has ordered a Court of Inquiry to investigate the cause of the MiG-29 crash, and further details are awaited.