An Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet on a test sortie crashed in an open field near Nashik on Tuesday afternoon. The twin-engine, two-seater fourth generation fighter jet was under the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) inventory and had taken off from the Ozar IAF airbase after overhaul. Mid-air, it developed technical snag and crashed in a farm near Shirasgaon village in Niphad tehsil.
“Local villagers reported the crash and police rushed to rescue of the pilots,” confirmed Special Inspector General of Nashik Range Datta Karale. The fighter jet was flown by Wing Commander Bokil and second-in-command Biswas, who managed to eject safely, but suffered minor injuries. The duo was rushed to HAL Hospital for treatment.
According to senior IAF officials, the Sukhoi jet was on the inventory of HAL for overhaul and testing purposes. “Post overhauling and testing, these (aircraft) are handed back to the IAF for operations. A technical snag was reported by the test pilots before the fighter jet crashed,” said the IAF spokesperson. “The exact reason behind the crash will only be known after detailed investigation,” said HAL spokesperson.
Local villagers were the first to rush to douse the flaming aircraft debris spread over a 500-metre radius. The Su-30MKI is a multi-role air superiority fighter developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and built under licence by HAL for the IAF. These fighter jets utilise the 'zero-zero NPP Zvezda K-36DM ejection seat' capability designed to help pilots eject upward from unrecoverable scenarios during low-altitude or low-speed flight as well as ground mishaps.
