NEW DELHI: A transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) made a crash landing at Bagdogra in West Bengal on Friday, officials confirmed.
The crew of the AN-32 aircraft escaped unhurt, and efforts are underway to recover the aircraft from the site.
“An accident involving an AN-32 transport aircraft at Bagdogra airport has come to light today. The aircraft is being recovered from the site. The crew of the aircraft is safe,” the IAF said in a statement.
This incident comes on the same day as another aviation mishap involving a Jaguar fighter aircraft, which crashed in Haryana’s Ambala district during a routine training sortie. The pilot ejected safely before the aircraft went down.
According to IAF officials, the Jaguar took off from the Ambala airbase in the afternoon but encountered a system malfunction, leading to the crash at around 3.45 pm. Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries as the pilot steered the aircraft away from populated areas before ejecting.
In a statement on X, the IAF confirmed the incident, saying, “A Jaguar aircraft of the IAF crashed at Ambala, during a routine training sortie today, after encountering system malfunction. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft away from any habitation on the ground before ejecting safely.”
Authorities have ordered a court of inquiry to determine the cause of the crash.
