In a recent incident involving the Indian Air Force, a twin-seater Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft crashed during a routine training sortie near Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh. The aircraft went down near Sunari Chowki on Thursday, but both pilots managed to eject safely before the crash. Visuals from the site depicted the wreckage engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) communicated via X, stating, "A Mirage 2000 aircraft of the IAF crashed near Shivpuri (Gwalior), during a routine training sortie today, after encountering a system malfunction. Both the pilots ejected safely. An enquiry has been ordered by the IAF to ascertain the cause of the accident."
Reflecting on a similar incident, in November 2024, a MiG-29 fighter jet crashed into a field near Agra in Uttar Pradesh during another routine training sortie. The crash was attributed to a technical glitch, yet the pilot succeeded in ejecting safely. The MiG-29 had taken flight from Adampur in Punjab and was en route to Agra for an exercise at the time.
The Air Force noted in its statement regarding the MiG-29 incident, "A MiG-29 aircraft of the IAF crashed near Agra during a routine training sortie today, after encountering a system malfunction. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft to ensure no damage to life or property on the ground, before ejecting safely. An inquiry has been ordered by the IAF to ascertain the cause of the accident."