Sukhoi fighter jet crashes in Nashik, Pilot safely ejected

Nashik: Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet crashed in a field in Maharashtra’s Nashik today. The pilot and the co-pilot managed to eject safely but suffered minor injuries.

The plane crashed in a field near Shirasgaon village, a senior police officer said.

Visuals showed the plume of smoke billowing after the aircraft crashed in the field. The twin-engine aircraft was up in flames and a crowd gathered near the crash site.

The aircraft took off from Ozar in Maharashtra’s Nashik and was on a test flight after being overhauled by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), sources told Defence Watch.

The pilots reported a technical snag in the aircraft. The Su-30MKI was presently not in the inventory of the Indian Air Force, sources added.

The Su-30 form the mainstay of the Indian Air Force, with over 200 aircraft operating in several squadrons in the country.

The Sukhoi fighter jet Is a twin-engine, twin-seater, fourth-generation fighter aircraft built by Russia. The aircraft is built under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It has been operating in the Air Force for over 20 years and has undergone several upgrades with the MKI version being the latest.

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