In one of the most worse tragedies involving Indian Air Force planes, two fighter jets crashed on Saturday during an exercise. At 5:30 in the morning, a Sukhoi Su-30 and a Mirage 2000 fighter jet from the Indian Air Force crashed near Morena in Madhya Pradesh while participating in a training exercise, officials announced on Saturday.
While there were reports of a third crash at Bharatpur in Rajasthan, now it has been confirmed that parts of the same planes that crashed in Morena fell in Bharatpur.
Defence sources reported that the Sukhoi Su-30 had two pilots while the Mirage 2000 only had one. According to Indian Air Force, two pilots who were able to evacuate are safe while one succumbed to his injuries. The survivors were taken to a hospital.
Two fighter aircraft of IAF were involved in an accident near Gwalior today morning. The aircraft were on routine operational flying training mission.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) January 28, 2023
One of the three pilots involved, sustained fatal injuries. An inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.
Initial reports indicated that the planes were training for a bombing exercise and they took off from the Gwalior air base. A court of inquiry will determine the accident’s precise cause. Reportedly, the two aircraft collided mid-air and then crashed to the ground. However, it was not head-on collision, the wings of the planes touched reached other.
SP Morena also provided information about the collision.
#WATCH | “Two jets -Mirage & Sukhoi- took off from Gwalior in the morning…As per IAF, one aircraft had 2 pilots, while the other had one; 2 safely rescued, body parts of 3rd found. Some parts of the jet were found in Bharatpur (Raj), details being collected,” says SP Morena, MP pic.twitter.com/9vimLkUtoN
— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2023
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, said he has directed the local government to coordinate with the air force to conduct swift rescue and relief operations.
मुरैना के कैलारस के पास वायुसेना के सुखोई-30 और मिराज-2000 विमानों के दुर्घटनाग्रस्त होने की खबर अत्यंत दुखद है। मैंने स्थानीय प्रशासन को त्वरित बचाव एवं राहत कार्य में वायुसेना के सहयोग के निर्देश दिए हैं। विमानों के पायलट के सुरक्षित होने की ईश्वर से कामना करता हूं।
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) January 28, 2023
The administration immediately initiated an investigation to see whether the two accidents were related after hearing about the collision and the wreckage discovered at both locations. To determine whether the wreckage discovered in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur is related to the planes that crashed in MP’s Morena, an IAF also travelled there.
Defence sources reported that IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the two aircraft’s crash. They stated that the defence minister is closely observing the developments.
Along with the crashes in Morena, another crash was also reported from Bharatpur in Rajasthan at the same time. The local administration had said the crashed jet was a chartered aircraft. However, later the IAF officials said that it was also an IAF aircraft.
Received info about a plane crash around 10-10.15 am. After coming here, it was found it was an IAF fighter jet. Going by the debris, we’re unable to adjudge if it’s a fighter plane or a regular plane. Yet to know if pilots got out or are still in: Bharatpur DSP at Bharatpur, Raj pic.twitter.com/W9BupSKU8B
— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2023
But there was confusion over the type of aircraft that crashed in Bharatpur. From earlier reported as a chartered plane, later it was said that it was an IAF helicopter.
Bharatpur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) who was on the spot stated that the plane was an Indian Airforce Force (IAF) fighter jet. “We can’t tell whether it’s a fighter plane or a conventional plane based on the wreckage. We are still unsure whether the pilot got out or is still inside (the plane)”, he had said.
“Prima facie it’s difficult to say whether it’s a defence fighter plane or helicopter as the intensity of the fire was so high that it crashed into air,” said Bharatpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Shyam Singh later in an interview with India Today.
The SP stated that the plane’s pilot had ejected, and searches are currently being conducted to locate him. “I have reached the spot. Officials from the defence unit are here. We are making the effort to trace the pilot,” added the SP.
However, the confusion was cleared later in the day, as it was revealed that there was no third crash. The authorities have said that the wreckage of two planes also fell in Bharatpur in Rajasthan, which is not very dar from Morena in Madhya Pradesh.
Indian Air Force's Sukhoi, Mirage Fighter Jets crashed this morning in Madhya Pradesh's Muraina. The wreckage was also found in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur. One of the three pilots has died. Here's what officials have said. #NewsMo #IAF #Sukhoi #FighterJets pic.twitter.com/BE8lMOz23I
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) January 28, 2023
Morena Collector Ankit Asthana has confirmed that the wreckage found in Bharatpur is not from a separate crash. It has been speculated that after the collision with the Mirage 2000 over Morena, the pilots of the Sukhoi were able to stabilise the plane for some moments and they flew for some distance before ejecting, and therefore the wreckage of the Sukhoi Su-30 fell in Bharatpur.
Note: This report has been updated with relevant details
