Sukhoi, Mirage Fighter Jets Crash Near Gwalior, 1 Pilot Dead

One pilot was killed in the crash of two fighter jets from the Indian Air Force, a Sukhoi Su-30 and a Mirage 2000, earlier today, according to officials. Two other people suffered critical injuries. While one plane is thought to have crashed in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, the other is thought to have crashed in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, 100 kilometres away.

According to defence sources, the Sukhoi had two pilots while the Mirage only had one. The Indian Air Force use both planes in combat. The Sukhoi’s two pilots were able to escape, and a chopper took them to the hospital.

This morning, an IAF mishap involving two fighter aircraft occurred close to Gwalior. The aircraft were on routine operational flying training mission. One of the three pilots involved, sustained fatal injuries. An inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.

Both fighter jets took off from the Gwalior Air Force base, which is home to squadrons of both the French Mirage 2000 and the Russian Sukhoi.

Videos from the scene, which were captured by locals in Morena, showed burning aeroplane parts scattered across the ground. Defense officials informed NDTV that the Air Force has opened an investigation to determine whether the disaster was caused by a mid-air collision.

“IAF court of inquiry has been launched to establish whether there was a mid-air collision or not. The Su-30 had two pilots while Mirage 2000 had one pilot during the crash. Initial reports suggest two pilots are safe while an IAF chopper reaching the location of the third pilot soon,” sources said.