PUNE: A Sukhoi 30 Mk-I crashed in an open field at Undarevasti of Kolawadi village, about 35 km from Pune, on Tuesday evening. The pilot and the copilot ejected in time and are reportedly unharmed.
Local villagers said the fighter plane slowed down considerably as it hit the ground and ploughed through a lush sugarcane field and halted after hitting a tree. An eyewitness said that besides the thick foliage, moistness in the soil also contributed to slowing down the jet, which could have caused damage to nearby houses.
A statement issued by the Indian Air Force Station, Lohegaon, said, "An IAF fighter aircraft was on a routine training mission from Pune air base. While coming in for landing at a distance of approximately 22 km from the Pune air field, the aircraft crashed. Both pilots are safe. An inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident. There is no reported loss of life or damage to property."
The IAF, however, did not identify the pilots.
The jet crashed in Ganesh Subhash Undare's field, located about 8km away from Kesnand Phata, off the Pune-Ahmednagar highway. Undare told TOI that he was away from the field when he came to know that a plane had crashed in his field.
"We rushed to the spot. A villager, Lata Undare, who saw the accident, said that she noticed the plane flying very low. The plane hit the ground before she realized what was happening. There was no fire or smoke," he said.
Villagers said the pilots ejected just before the crash. "We could not speak to the pilots because they were taken away immediately by the officials," Undare said.
Villagers who saw the crash ran away only to come back later with a large crowd that surrounded the spot. "Some villagers threw mud and sand on the plane thinking it may catch fire. By then, the local police had arrived with Air Force officials and Air Force fire brigade. After crashing into a tree, the jet's nose came off and tumbled some 50 ft to stop in front of a small temple. The standing sugarcane crop and moist soil saved our houses from damage," said a villager.
The early party of the Air Force came to the spot after learning about the crash and secured the entire area. Nobody was allowed to go near the crash site. An officer, who refused to be identified, said the technical staff and senior officials were on way to the site. He said that evidence, including the black box, will be collected for investigation. The exact cause of the crash will be known only after the investigations, he said.
