Two fighter jets of the Indian Air Force met with a tragic incident on Saturday morning, January 28, 2023, in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district. The Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Mirage 2000 fighter jets were conducting an exercise in the area when the crash occurred. The aircrafts took off from the air base in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. The Indian Air Force has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
According to the sources, the wreckage of both aircrafts has spotted in the Morena district, and the rescue teams are on the way to the crash site. According to report, both pilots were able to eject safely before the crash, and no casualties have reported.
The Indian Air Force has expressed its sadness over the loss of two of its aircrafts and extended its condolences to the families of the pilots and personnel involved in the incident. The airforce assured that the cause of the crash will be investigated thoroughly and necessary steps will be taken to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
IAF officials have stated that the details of the incident will be shared once a complete assessment of the incident is done. However, it’s been reported that the wreckage of the planes has been spotted, and search and rescue operations have been launched. The IAF has informed that both pilots were able to eject safely before the crash, and no casualties have been reported.
According to reports, the incident occurred around 10-10.15 am on Saturday, January 28, 2023, while the aircrafts were conducting an exercise in the area. Both the jets had taken off from the air base in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
The local police received information about a plane crash and upon arriving at the scene, it was determined that it was an IAF fighter jet. According to the Bharatpur DSP, the debris was unable to indicate whether it was a fighter plane or a regular plane. The DSP also stated that it is currently unclear if the pilots have ejected or are still in the aircraft.
An Indian Air Force court of inquiry will be initiated to establish whether there was a mid-air collision or not. The Su-30 had 2 pilots on board while the Mirage 2000 had one pilot. Initial reports suggest that 2 pilots are safe and an IAF chopper is currently on its way to the location of the 3rd pilot.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is said to be in touch with the Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and he is gathering details on the crash from them.
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a multirole combat fighter aircraft jointly developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force. The Mirage 2000, on the other hand, has been developed by French aviation giant Dassault, the maker of Rafale fighter jets.
1 pilot dead in crash in Morena
On Saturday morning, two fighter jets belonging to the Indian Air Force were involved in an accident near Gwalior. According to the IAF, the aircraft were on a routine operational flying training mission at the time of the incident. Tragically, one of the three pilots involved in the accident sustained fatal injuries. In response to the incident, the IAF has ordered an inquiry to determine the cause of the accident. The IAF also expressed its condolences to the family of the pilot who lost their life and is providing all necessary support. The details of the accident will be shared as soon as the investigation is complete.