IAF MiG-29 jet crashes in Jalandhar

NEW DELHI: A MiG-29 multirole fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed during a training mission near Punjab's Jalandhar Friday.

The pilot ejected safely. He was soon taken away in a rescue helicopter, the IAF said in a statement. "The aircraft had developed a technical snag and the pilot ejected safely as he was unable to control the aircraft. The pilot has been rescued by a helicopter. A court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of accident," the IAF said.

The MiG-29 is a Soviet-era fighter jet. It has also been used to escort other jets on bombing missions from incoming "bandits" or enemy fighter jets. The IAF operates over 60 MiG-29s, all of which have been upgraded with advanced avionics and better weapons to convert them into multirole jets that can perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions equally well.