Mig 29K crashes off Goa coast; pilot ejects safely

The aircraft was on a routine sortie over the sea off Goa

A MiG-29K combat jet of the Indian Navy crashed in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday, but the pilot ejected safely and was rescued by a Navy team.

“A MiG-29K on a routine sortie over sea off Goa developed a technical malfunction while returning to base. The pilot ejected safely and has been recovered in a swift search and rescue operation,” an Indian Navy spokesperson said. The pilot is in stable condition.

A Board of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the incident.

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This is the fourth crash of the naval fighter jets in the last two years. The last such accident took place in November 2020 when a two-seater trainer version of the fighter jet went down after taking off from the deck of aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

New Delhi purchased 45 such fighters from Russia at a cost of Rs 10,409 crore more than a decade ago and the first MiG-29K squadron was commissioned in Goa in August, 2013.

However, in a 2016 report, the Comptroller and Auditor General pointed out the MiG29K fighter jets had operational deficiencies due to defects in engines, airframe and fly-by-wire. Further, the aircraft continues to suffer from low serviceability.

In a few weeks, MiG-29K would also operate from the home grown aircraft carrier INS Vikrant till the Indian Navy finds an alternative.