<p>It was a nightmarish Wednesday for the Indian Air Force, which the witnessed crashing of its Su-30 MKI combat jet and a Chetak helicopter within a gap of a few hours.<br /><br />While the fighter aircraft crashed near the Utarlai air base in Barmer district of Rajasthan in the afternoon, a Chetak helicopter toppled near Allahabad earlier in the morning after the pilots touched down on an uneven ground, an IAF official said.<br /><br />Three villagers were injured in the Barmer incident. <br /><br />This is the seventh crash of the Su-30 MKI fighters in the past eight years. <br />Since 2009, every alternate year saw going down of these mighty birds that are the mainstay of the IAF. Close to 240 Su-30 MKIs are in service at the moment.<br /><br />“A Su-30 aircraft of the IAF crashed near the Utarlai airbase of Barmer in Rajasthan on Wednesday afternoon while on a routine sortie. Both pilots ejected safely,” the official said. <br /><br />An investigation is in progress to identify the reasons behind the crash.<br /><br />In the morning, a Chetak helicopter developed technical snags after taking off from the Bamrauli air base in Allahabad. After the pilots landed the rotor craft on an uneven land, it toppled. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to find out the cause.<br /><br />7 accidents every year<br />Since 2007-08, on an average, the IAF witnessed more than seven accidents every year. With 14 accidents, the worst year was 2009-10. There were 65 crashes in five years between 2007-08 and 2011-12, after which the situation improved slightly.<br /><br />In the next five years, the number of accidents touched double digits only in 2014-15 and 2016-17. A recent report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee expressed concern on flight safety due to obsolescence issues in the IAF. <br /><br />Chetak helicopters are of 1960s vintage, but the Indian military is still flying them in the absence of a replacement.<br /><br />The Su-30 MKI crashes, on the other hand, are a matter of concern for the IAF that relies on these Russian-origin war planes to claim air superiority. Three of the five accidents were caused by the flaws in the fly-by-wire system, while investigations are yet to completed in two other cases.</p>
<p>It was a nightmarish Wednesday for the Indian Air Force, which the witnessed crashing of its Su-30 MKI combat jet and a Chetak helicopter within a gap of a few hours.<br /><br />While the fighter aircraft crashed near the Utarlai air base in Barmer district of Rajasthan in the afternoon, a Chetak helicopter toppled near Allahabad earlier in the morning after the pilots touched down on an uneven ground, an IAF official said.<br /><br />Three villagers were injured in the Barmer incident. <br /><br />This is the seventh crash of the Su-30 MKI fighters in the past eight years. <br />Since 2009, every alternate year saw going down of these mighty birds that are the mainstay of the IAF. Close to 240 Su-30 MKIs are in service at the moment.<br /><br />“A Su-30 aircraft of the IAF crashed near the Utarlai airbase of Barmer in Rajasthan on Wednesday afternoon while on a routine sortie. Both pilots ejected safely,” the official said. <br /><br />An investigation is in progress to identify the reasons behind the crash.<br /><br />In the morning, a Chetak helicopter developed technical snags after taking off from the Bamrauli air base in Allahabad. After the pilots landed the rotor craft on an uneven land, it toppled. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to find out the cause.<br /><br />7 accidents every year<br />Since 2007-08, on an average, the IAF witnessed more than seven accidents every year. With 14 accidents, the worst year was 2009-10. There were 65 crashes in five years between 2007-08 and 2011-12, after which the situation improved slightly.<br /><br />In the next five years, the number of accidents touched double digits only in 2014-15 and 2016-17. A recent report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee expressed concern on flight safety due to obsolescence issues in the IAF. <br /><br />Chetak helicopters are of 1960s vintage, but the Indian military is still flying them in the absence of a replacement.<br /><br />The Su-30 MKI crashes, on the other hand, are a matter of concern for the IAF that relies on these Russian-origin war planes to claim air superiority. Three of the five accidents were caused by the flaws in the fly-by-wire system, while investigations are yet to completed in two other cases.</p>
