New Delhi:
The Indian Navy said today that it had recovered what it believes could be the remains of the Indian Navy pilot who had been ejected over the Arab on November 26.
Commander Nishant Singh, the instructor at the controls of the MiG-29K jet flying with another pilot, had disappeared after an accident at sea 11 days ago. His copilot was located and rescued immediately.
The pilot-in-training informed authorities that he had seen a second parachute being fired after he ejected himself.
Four days after the incident, on December 1, Navy specialists located the main remains of the Russian-made two-seater fighter. Sources said NDTV Commander Singh’s ejection seat was not present at the site.
A statement from the Indian Navy said today: “Mortal remains of a human body have been recovered in the vicinity of the site of the remains. Samples are being sent for DNA testing to confirm identity.”
All sections of the aircraft wreckage, including the ejection seats, have been accounted for using a side scan sonar and HD cameras, according to the statement.
The MiG-29K is equipped with the Russian-made K-36D-3.5 ejection seat, considered the most sophisticated in the world. In the event that the ejection handles are pulled, the pilot in the rear seat is ejected first, followed by the pilot in the front.
Sources indicate that the fighter was at a very low altitude when the pilots were ejected.
The government carried out an intense aerial, coastal and surface search operation involving ships and planes of the navy. Divers carried out underwater searches using specialized equipment to map the seafloor in the area around the primary wreck site, the sources added.
The Indian Navy has a fleet of more than 40 MiG-29K fighter jets based in Goa and also operated from the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier.
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