MiG-29K crashes off Goa, pilot ejects safely

PANAJI: In yet another crash for the Indian Navy in just over three months, a naval fighter jet which took off from the INS Vikramaditya crashed into the Arabian Sea about 35 nautical miles from Goa’s coast on Sunday.
The MiG-29K aircraft, part of the 303 Black Panther squadron, was on a routine training sortie when it suffered a serious technical glitch, said naval officials. Sources said that after the pilot realised that the aircraft was unrecoverable, he ejected around 10.30am.
“The pilot ejected safely and has been recovered,” chief public relations officer Commander Mehul Karnik said.
Karnik said further details were awaited as the Navy was trying to ascertain the depth where the MiG-29K crashed.
The Russian-made MiG 29K is the naval version of the MiG 29 which is in service with the Indian Air Force. It forms the lethal wing of the Navy’s air assets.
The Navy has reported that the MiG 29k has suffered several engine malfunctions and Sunday’s crash is the latest in a string of losses that the Navy has had to deal with.
In November 2019, a trainer version of the MiG 29K crashed about 30km from Goa’s capital after it encountered a flock of birds after take-off from INS Hansa air base at Dabolim, Goa.
The MiG 29KUB had crashed at the Verna plateau and the pilots, who had ejected, were rescued by locals.
As is the process, the Navy has launched a formal investigation into the circumstances that led to the fighter being ditched into the sea. “A board of enquiry has been instituted by the Indian Navy,” said Karnik.
Even as the Indian Navy navigates the long drawn process to procure 57 fighter jets, it’s fleet of fighter jets continues to decline.