NEW DELHI: An Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jet crashed in Mundra district of Kutch in Gujarat on Monday, reported Times Now.
The IAF Jaguar belonging to the Jamnagar air base crashed on the outskirts of Beraja village. The pilot, Air Commodore Sanjay Chauhan, lost his life in the crash, a defence spokesperson told TOI. Five cows grazing in the field where the aircraft crashed were also killed.
“Today morning a Jaguar aircraft on a routine training mission from Jamnagar crashed around 10:30 hours. The pilot Air Cmde Sanjay Chauhan sustained fatal injuries during the crash. A CoI [Court of Inquiry] has been ordered to investigate cause of the accident,” said Lt Col Manish Ojha.
The incident comes months after a Microlight Virus SW-80 helicopter of the IAF crashed in Assam’s Majuli island, killing two pilots — Wing Commander J James and Wing Commander D Vats. The pilots had attempted an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed in a sand bar in the northern part of the district and went up in flames.
Prasanta Patnaik