A twin-seater MiG-29K fighter jet of the Navy on Thursday crashed into the Arabian Sea off Goa. One pilot has been rescued, while a search is on for the other.
“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, it stated.
Last November, a MIG-29K trainer crashed in Goa after engine failure due to a bird hit. Both the two pilots ejected safely in the incident. In February last, a MIG-29K on a routine training sortie crashed off Goa due to technical glitch. The pilot ejected safely and was recovered.
India contracted 45 MiG-29Ks from Russia. Based in Goa, they operate off aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
INS Vikramaditya, along with its MIG-29Ks, recently saw extensive participation 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.
