The Indian Air Force has lost yet another Russian aircraft in a crash, this time a MiG-29 fighter jet. It went down today, October 4, near the Agra airbase in northern India while completing a flight from the Adampur airbase, located 530 km away, at approximately 4:30 PM local time.
The aircraft crashed in the middle of fields, and the pilot managed to eject safely. Indian media immediately reported that the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction. Additionally, footage from the scene shows no adverse weather conditions, and the aircraft was piloted by the commander of the 182nd squadron, raising questions about his qualifications.
There is also video of the Indian MiG-29 crash, which shows the aircraft in a flat spin. However, there are no significant visible damages or signs of fire.
This marks India's second loss of a MiG-29 in the last two months. On September 2, another MiG-29 of the Indian Air Force crashed during a night flight near the city of Barmer in central India. The pilot also managed to eject, and the loss of the aircraft was attributed to a "critical technical malfunction." It is worth noting that both aircraft were modernized MiG-29UPG in Russia.
Thus, India is nearing the unfortunate record of 2020, when three MiG-29s were lost. Four years ago, the Indian Air Force lost two carrier-based MiG-29Ks in February and November, as well as one MiG-29UPG in May. Overall, from 1989 to the present, India has lost 25 MiG-29s in accidents.
Lastly, it should be noted that aircraft crashes involving Russian planes are not unusual for India. For example, in June of this year, India lost 11 Su-30MKI fighter jets. In total, the country currently operates around 40 carrier-based MiG-29Ks, about 60 MiG-29s, and approximately 260 Su-30MKIs.