Assam: Fighter aircraft crashes; pilot, co-pilot safe

Tezpur, May 19: A Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft on Tuesday crashed at Laokhowa in Nagaon district of Assam with both the pilot and co-pilot ejecting safely.

The Su-30 fighter aircraft, flying from Tezpur's Salanibari Air Force station on a routine sortie, lost connection with the radar at the airforce station at around 12.30 pm and crashed thereafter, a Defence spokesman said here.

The aircraft had developed a technical problem and the pilot was forced to abandon the aircraft, he said.

Both the pilots ejected safely and the aircraft crashed at Laokhowa near here. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident, the spokesman added.

PTI