A MiG-21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force today crashed near Halwara air base in Punjab, but the pilot bailed out safely.
The crash took place at around 11.15 hours just outside the Sidwan Khas Range in Halwara, 33 km from here.
"A MiG-21 Type-96 aircraft crashed around 11.15 hours near SK Range near Halwara air base. The pilot ejected from the cockpit safely," an IAF spokesperson said in New Delhi.
"The pilot had flown the plane from Pathankot air base for a routine armament training sortie at the range in Halwara when the mishap occurred," he said.
With today's crash, the IAF has lost three fighter jet planes this year.
It had lost a MiG-27 warplane on February 16 this year in a crash near Hashimara and a MiG-21 Type-77 fighter aircraft on February 19 at Bagdogra, both in West Bengal.
In the Hashimara crash, the pilot, wing commander Oswald, was killed, while in the Bagdogra mishap, the pilot ejected out of the cockpit safely.
Last year, the IAF was hit by 11 crashes and five of them involved variants of the MiG-21 fighter planes.
Ludhiana Range DIG JK Jain said the MiG-21 plane crashed in an open field at Behri Baringa village in the district.
The IAF spokesperson said there was no damage to life or property at the crash site, as the pilot had directed the aircraft away from the populated area.
He said after sensing an emergency apparently caused by an engine trouble, the pilot had tried to divert the aircraft towards the Halwara airfield, but could not do so.
He carried out a "controlled descent" to prevent damage to life or property, the spokesperson said.
Soon after the crash, an IAF rescue team reached the spot and took the pilot to a hospital in Halwara for a routine after-crash check up.
Later, they flew him in an helicopter to the Military Hospital in Jalandhar for further examination, the spokesperson said.
