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Jaguar catches fire, pilot rescued
Ambala, July 22: In the second mishap involving an IAF fighter aircraft in less than a week, a jaguar today caught fire and veered off the runway during take-off from the air force station here but the pilot was rescued by firefighters.
Ambala, July 22: In the second mishap involving an IAF fighter aircraft in less than a week, a jaguar today caught fire and veered off the runway during take-off from the air force station here but the pilot was rescued by firefighters.
The incident took place at about 4.15 pm when the aircraft was about to take-off for an exercise sortie.
An IAF spokesman said in Delhi that the pilot of the aircraft Flt Lt S Kanvinde aborted the take-off as he noticed the fire in the plane. Kanvinde was pulled out of the burning aircraft by fire tenders.
Eyewitnesses said the aircraft caught fire near a water tank and three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames.
"The extent of the damage to the aircraft is being assessed and a court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident," he said adding it was not a crash.
Last week, a mig-21 crashed in Jammu and Kashmir killing both the pilot and the co-pilot.
This was the seventh air mishap involving fighter aircraft of IAF this year. In all, two jaguars, two MiG-23 and three MiG-21 aircraft have crashed in the last six months.
Ten IAF fighter aircraft have crashed in Punjab and Haryana since April last year--four of them MiG-21s, and three each of MiG-23 and jaguar.
Bureau Report
An IAF spokesman said in Delhi that the pilot of the aircraft Flt Lt S Kanvinde aborted the take-off as he noticed the fire in the plane. Kanvinde was pulled out of the burning aircraft by fire tenders.
Eyewitnesses said the aircraft caught fire near a water tank and three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames.
"The extent of the damage to the aircraft is being assessed and a court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident," he said adding it was not a crash.
Last week, a mig-21 crashed in Jammu and Kashmir killing both the pilot and the co-pilot.
This was the seventh air mishap involving fighter aircraft of IAF this year. In all, two jaguars, two MiG-23 and three MiG-21 aircraft have crashed in the last six months.
Ten IAF fighter aircraft have crashed in Punjab and Haryana since April last year--four of them MiG-21s, and three each of MiG-23 and jaguar.
Bureau Report