MiG-29 aircraft crashes in India’s Himachal Pradesh state

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Oct 19, IRNA -- A MiG-29 fighter aircraft crashed into a mountain during a night flying exercise near Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh and the fate of the pilot is not known.

The mishap occurred last night in Chokang village, 400 kms from Shimla, Air Force officials said today.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has sent a team to locate the wreckage and the missing pilot, pti reported quoting an Air Force spokesperson as said in Delhi.

Two MiG-29 aircraft of western air command took off from Adampur in Jalandhar for night flying exercise in high altitude and during a turn, one of them crashed into a mountain.

The IAF said the second plane returned safely and the exercise has not been called off.

This is the seventh air crash involving IAF's fighter aircraft this year and the second this month. On October 7, a MiG-21 aircraft crashed near Uttarlai airport in Rajasthan's Barmer district but the pilot ejected safely.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30619942