An Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 crashed in Bhind, Madhya Pradesh after a technical malfunction. The pilot ejected safely but was injured.
Visuals show the debris scattered on an empty field in Mankabad, some 6 km from Bhind. A team of policemen has formed a cordon around the crash site, where the smoldering tail section of the trainer jet is seen half-buried in the field.
“An IAF Mirage 2000 aircraft experienced a technical malfunction during a training sortie in the central sector this morning. The pilot ejected safely. An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF said in a tweet.
The pilot ejected safely before the aircraft crashed in Mankabagh village of the district, Bhind Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Singh told PTI.
The aircraft was being flown by lieutenant Abhilash. A video taken by a local shows a pilot gliding down smoothly with the help of a parachute. However, he received minor injuries.
The plane caught fire after the crash, he said, adding that the pilot was rescued.
The aircraft had taken off from the Maharajpura airbase at Gwalior in the morning, the official said.
Bhind district administration and IAF officials reached the spot soon after getting information about the crash.
