IAF's Jaguar fighter jet crashes in Rajasthan's Churu, both pilots killed

A Jaguar fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Churu district in Rajasthan on Wednesday, killing both pilots onboard, the IAF confirmed. The aircraft had taken off from Suratgarh air base. Following the incident, IAF's choppers have been sent to the crash site, said defence sources.

"An IAF Jaguar Trainer aircraft met with an accident during a routine training mission and crashed near Churu in Rajasthan, today. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident. No damage to any civil property has been reported," said the airforce in an official statement.

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A court of inquiry has been constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident. The aircraft crashed in an agricultural field in Bhanoda village around 1.25 pm.

This is the third crash involving a Jaguar aircraft this year. In April, another IAF Jaguar went down during a routine training mission near the Jamnagar Air Force Station in Gujarat.

That aircraft crashed into an open field near Suvarda village, roughly 12 kilometres from Jamnagar city.

At that time one of the two pilots managed to eject safely, while the other was found dead by local villagers.

The Jaguar is a twin-engine fighter-bomber in single and twin-seat variants. Widely used by the Air Force despite its vintage status, these planes have been heavily upgraded over the years.

Also Read: Three crashes in a year: Is IAF’s ageing Jaguar fleet turning into the next 'flying coffins' like MiG-21?