IAF’s Jaguar plane crashes near Bhuj, pilot ejects safely

The pilot ejected at Loria village 22 kms of Bhuj and was saved.

“We have received information that an IAF aircraft has crashed. It’s pilot has escaped and no casualty has been reported,” DN Patel, superintendent of police of Kutch West, told The Indian Express.

A Jaguar combat aircraft of Indian Air Force crashed in Bibar village, some 70 kilometres west of Bhuj town in western Kuch on Friday afternoon with the local police saying the pilot of the chopper had escaped safely.

Police said the aircraft crashed near Bibar village in Nakhtrana taluka and that it had taken off from Air Force Station in Bhuj town. “We received the information at around 12 pm that an IAF aircraft had crashed in Bibar village. The debris of the chopper fell in an open field while its pilot managed to escape. Another IAF aircraft has taken the pilot away while other IAF personnel have also reached the spot of the crash and have secured the debris,” Nakhtrana police sub-inspector Karshan Dafda said.

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The pilot ejected at Loria village 22 kms of Bhuj and was saved. The IAF officials said the pilot was on routine training. The aircraft is suspected to have witnessed a technical issue. A court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

The PSI said that since the helicopter crashed in an isolated field, no injury or casualty were reported from the ground.

Defence public relations officer for Gujarat, wing commander Abhishek Matiman confirmed an aircraft had crashed in Kutch and added that further details were awaited.

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