MiG-29 crashes in Siberia

A Russian Air Force MiG-29 fighter crashed Thursday near Chita in Siberia region, killing the pilot, the defence ministry said.

The plane crashed near Domna airport, 27 km from Chita, ministry spokesman Col. Igor Konashenkov said.

The pilot's body was found by a rescue team, he said. A ministry commission is at the scene to establish the causes of the crash.

According to reports, the plane crashed into a hill. All MiG-29s have been grounded pending investigation into the causes of the crash, Konashenkov said.

The MiG-29 is a multi-role fourth-generation fighter. At present there are 270 MiG-29s in the Russian Air Force and 40 in the Navy.