Jaguar trainer aircraft crashes over Pokhran, second within a month

Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Thursday flew MiG-29UPG multi-role aircraft solo sortie from one of the frontline fighter bases of India, and reviewed the operational preparedness of a base in Western Air Command.

The Air Chief also reviewed the operational preparedness of a base in Western Air Command (WAC). The exact location of the MiG 29 sortie, and the WAC base has not been revealed due to security reasons.

According to an AIR India Express Spokesperson, "We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on 11 March experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport. The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned. We thank our guests, the Phuket airport authorities, and all stakeholders for their cooperation."

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy jointly conducted four successful in-flight release trials of the indigenous Air Droppable Container 'ADC-150' from the P8I aircraft off the coast of Goa between February 21 to March 1, at different extreme release conditions.

"We are not getting any real output or support from the government. I only heard that an official named Amol Sonawane from Baramati offered a cheque of Rs 5 lakh," he said.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu has said that the probe by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the tragic crash of a London-bound Air India flight is progressing at a "very good pace" and the report should come out within a year of the incident.

Sharing his grief over their loss, he wrote on X, "Deeply saddened by the loss of Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar in the tragic Su-30 crash. Their courage and service to the nation will always be remembered with pride and gratitude. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The nation stands firmly with them in this hour of grief.

The crash site is located roughly 60 km from Jorhat. Local residents reported hearing a loud explosion.

"The Su-30MKI which was on a training mission, crashed in the area of Karbi Anglong, Assam, approx 60 km from Jorhat. Search operations are underway," said IAF.

According to the Defence PRO, Guwahati, the Su-30 MKI reportedly lost radar contact in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam.