A Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet has crashed in Nashik. Both pilots have ejected safely before the aircraft crashed. The aircraft was under production and was undergoing flight tests by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and had not been handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF) yet.


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Sources in the IAF have confirmed that the two pilots ejected safely. One of them is an officer of the IAF who is on secondment to HAL for testing purposes. The other pilot is a retired IAF pilot who has since joined HAL as a test pilot for the Su-30s.



No other persons have been reported injured or killed in the accident. Emergency services in the locality have been pressed into service at the crash site.


HAL manufactures the Su-30 fighter jets under license from Russian aircraft major Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. The Indian variant of the Su-30 is a twin-engine supersonic multirole fighter that can be used both for air-to-ground assaults and to maintain air superiority.


The Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, the variant designed specifically for the IAF's requirements, is a twin-seater fighter - typically carrying one pilot and one Weapons System Operator (WSO).