MiG-29K crashes into sea, 1 pilot missing

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 27

A MiG-29K fighter jet of the Navy crashed off Goa over the Arabian Sea on Thursday night. A search is on for one of the two pilots, who reportedly ejected over the sea.

One of the pilots was rescued, Navy officials said on Friday morning. The search for the other pilot, Lt Commander Nishant Singh, went on through the night and is continuing using helicopters and warships. Pilots carry a locator beacon over sea. An inquiry has been ordered.

This is the third mishap of Russian-made MiG-29K aircraft in the last one year and fourth overall for the fleet of 45 that cost $2.2 billion and was inducted in phases post 2011.

On November 16 last year, a MiG-29K aircraft crashed outside Verna village in south Goa district following a bird hit. Both pilots had then ejected safely and earned praise for steering the jet away from habitation and also the oil dump at Zuari, Goa.

On February 23 this year, another MiG-29K crashed. On January 3, 2018, a jet had to abort a takeoff from Goa as the plane burst out in flames. On June 8, 2019, a detachable fuel tank of a MiG-29K crash-landed on the runway at Goa, spilling fuel and causing minor damage to the landing strip

The twin engine, Russia-made aircraft are home-based at the Naval air station INS Hansa in Goa. A part of the fleet is also on deployment at INS Dega, on the east coast at Vishakapatnam.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its 2016 report, said MiG-29K was riddled with problems relating to airframe, its engine (RD MK-33) and the fly-by-wire system.