Indian Navy's MiG 29K fighter jet crashes off Goa coast, pilot ejects safely

Indian Navy’s fighter aircraft - MiG 29K on October 12 crashed over the sea while it was on a routine sortie off the Goa coast. Fortunately, the pilot of the fighter jet ejected safely and was found after a search and rescue effort.

"The twin-engine MiG-29K crashed over the sea after it developed a technical malfunction while returning to base. The pilot ejected safely and has been recovered in a swift search & rescue operation. He is reported to be in stable condition," Indian Navy said.

The Navy said it has ordered a Board of Inquiry (BoI) to investigate the cause of the incident. The Indian Navy is the world's only operator of the MiG-29K fighter aircraft acquired from Russia along with Admiral Gorshkov renamed INS Vikramaditya in India.

The safety record of the MiG-29Ks has not been very good. The force is now looking at the procurement of 25-26 foreign fighter aircraft for operations from the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant commissioned recently by the Prime Minister in Kochi.The MiG-29s are deployed in Goa at the naval base INS Hansa.