In a mishap at Goa’s military operated Dabolim International airport, a MiG-29K fighter jet skidded off the runway and caught fire, even as the pilot managed to escape without injury, officials said.
The mishap which occurred on Wednesday forenoon, however resulted in the runway being closed for civilian air traffic for more than an hour, according to Airport director BCH Negi.
An Indian Navy spokesperson told The Pioneer, that a Board of Enquiry would be initiated to probe the reasons for the mishap in the newly acquired fighter plane, which is part of the MiG-29K fleet, which has been successfully integrated onboard the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
“There was malfunction in the aircraft at the time of take-off which forced the pilot to abandon it. The pilot is safe, although the plane caught fire, which was brought under control by fire tenders," the spokesperson said.
Goa’s Dabolim airport functions out of INS Hansa, an Indian Navy base located near the Port town of Vasco in South Goa. Airport director Negi said that the runway was closed for all traffic from 12:30 pm to 1:40 pm. “It was a temporary closure for damage control caused by the accident,” Negi said.