Agra, Nov 4 : A MiG-29 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in a field immediately after take off in the Kagarol area of Agra District in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, sources said here.

The sources said that the aircraft caught fire while taking off from Kheria airport. “In a blink of an eye, the plane turned into a ball of fire and crashed into a field,” they said.

Sources said that there were two pilots on board the plane at the time of the accident. Both of them ejected out of the plane safely just a few seconds before the fire broke out. The plane fell into empty fields near Songa village,” they said.

Meanwhile, an IAF official said that a MiG-29 aircraft of the IAF crashed near Agra during a routine training sortie, after encountering a system malfunction. “The pilot manoeuvered the aircraft to ensure no damage to life or property on ground, before ejecting safely,” he said.

He said that an enquiry has been ordered by the IAF, to ascertain the cause of the accident.

UNI