An Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in a field near Shirasgaon village in Maharashtra’s Nashik district today. The pilot and co-pilot suffered injuries but managed to eject safely from the twin-seater aircraft before it crashed.
“The Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in a field near Shirasgaon village. The pilot and co-pilot have been rescued and are being treated for injuries,” a senior police officer stated.
The Sukhoi-30MKI is the frontline fighter jet of the Indian Air Force, with over 200 of these twin-engine, multi-role aircraft currently in operation across several squadrons in the country. Built by Russia’s Sukhoi Aviation Corporation, the jets are manufactured under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in India.
This is the latest in a series of Sukhoi crashes reported in recent times. In August 2022, another Sukhoi-30 crashed in a paddy field in Assam after experiencing a technical malfunction, though the pilots ejected safely.
The fourth-generation fighter has been in service with the Indian Air Force for over two decades and has undergone multiple upgrades, with the MKI being the latest variant.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of today’s crash in Nashik. The Air Force has ordered a court of inquiry to probe the incident.
