The MiG-29K is an all-weather carrier-based multi-role fighter of the Russian Mikoyan (Representative)
New Delhi:
The missing pilot of the Indian Navy MiG-29K that sank in the Arabian Sea on Thursday night managed to eject moments before crashing.
Four days after the incident, Navy specialists have located the main remains of the two-seater fighter built by Russia. Sources told NDTV that the ejection seat of Commander Nishant Singh, the instructor at the plane’s controls, is not present at this site.
The Commander is still missing. The second pilot, a trainee, has been rescued.
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 rider in the rear seat is ejected first, followed by the rider in the front.
Sources indicate that the fighter was at a very low altitude when the pilots were ejected. They add that the apprentice maintains that he saw a second parachute after exiting the plane.
It is unclear why the MiG-29K pilot’s personal locator beacon was unable to ping an electronic distress signal after making contact with water.
The government continues to carry out an intensive air, coastal and surface search operation involving ships and naval aircraft. Divers are conducting underwater searches using specialized equipment to map the seafloor in the area around the primary wreck site, the sources added.
Commander Singh, who recently married, relayed the news of his wedding to his commanding officer in May in a humorous letter.
“I am sorry to be dropping this bomb at you in such a short time, but as you would agree, I intend to drop a nuclear bomb on myself and I realize that, like all split second decisions we make In the heat of combat, I cannot afford to have time to re-evaluate my decision, “wrote the Commander.
“… (my fiancé and I) have come to a mutual agreement that we could spend the rest of our lives together, without killing each other … I officially seek your approval,” she wrote.
He indicated that their marriage would take place via a Zoom video call due to restrictions in place during the Covid pandemic.
On Sunday, the Navy said that various parts of the aircraft, which crashed after taking off from the INS Vikramaditya carrier, had also been recovered.
A high-level investigation was ordered to investigate what is the third mishap related to a MiG-29K aircraft in the last 12 months.
In February, a MiG 29K crashed after being struck by birds over Goa. The pilots managed to move the plane away from inhabited areas before expelling it, an action that received praise from the Minister of State for Defense, Shripad Naik.
In November last year, a MiG-29K trainer crashed in front of a village in Goa. Both pilots ejected safely.
The MiG-29K is an all-weather, carrier-based multi-role fighter jet developed by the Russian aerospace company Mikoyan (MiG). The Navy acquired a fleet of 45 MiG-29Ks at a cost of around two billion dollars to operate from INS Vikramaditya.
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