A twin-seater MiG-29K fighter jet of the Indian Navy on Thursday crashed into the Arabian Sea off Goa. One pilot has been rescued, while a search is on for a second missing pilot.
“A MiG-29K trainer aircraft operating at sea ditched at about 1700 hrs on November 26. One pilot has been recovered and search by air and surface units is in progress for the second pilot,” the Navy said in a statement on Friday.
An inquiry has been ordered into the crash, the Navy added.
On November 16, 2019, a MiG-29K trainer crashed in Goa after engine failure due to bird hit. Both pilots ejected safely in the incident.
India had commissioned 45 MIG-29Ks from Russia, which are based in Goa and operate off aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
INS Vikramaditya, along with the fighter jet, were deployed in the Malabar naval exercise alongside U.S. Navy carrier USS Kitty Hawk in the northern part of Arabian Sea. The exercise held in two phases saw the participation of India, Australia, Japan and the U.S.