Updated: December 7, 2020 8:49:08 pm
The Indian Navy has a fleet of around 40 MiG-29K fighter jets and some of them operate from INS Vikramaditya
Eleven days after a MiG-29K training plane crashed in the Arabian Sea Off the coast of Goa, the Navy on Monday recovered the remains of a human body near the site of the wreckage, believed to be that of the missing pilot, Major Nishant Singh. The aircraft of Russian origin had taken off from the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier on November 27 and fell around 5 pm. While a pilot was rescued, Nishant Singh had disappeared after ejecting from the plane.
The Navy said in a statement that “the mortal remains of a human body have been recovered in the vicinity of the scene of the incident” and “samples are being sent for DNA tests to confirm identity.”
“All sections of the aircraft wreckage, including the ejection seats, have been accounted for through the use of side scan sonar and HD cameras. The FDR / CVR along with other important material have thus far been recovered for analysis / investigation, ”the statement said. “So far there have been aerial searches by MR planes and helicopter departures worth 270 hours,” the Navy said.
On November 29, the The Indian Navy had recovered some rubble of the MiG-29K aircraft. “Some debris from the aircraft has been located, including the landing gear, the turbocharger, the fuel tank engine and the wing engine cover,” he said. The Marine Police and the Coastal Police were also on the lookout and nearby fishing villages were alerted.
INS Vikramaditya was part of the recent Malabar exercise that involved the navies of India, the United States, Australia and Japan. The MIG-29K fleet aboard the aircraft carrier also participated in the naval mega drill that took place from 17 to 20 November.
The MiG-29K is an all-weather, carrier-based multi-role fighter jet developed by the Russian aerospace company Mikoyan (MiG). The Indian Navy had acquired a fleet of 45 MiG-29Ks from Russia more than a decade ago at a cost of around $ 2 billion to operate from INS Vikramaditya.
This is the third mishap involving a MiG-29K aircraft. One had developed a “technical problem” during a routine outing in February this year. In November 2019, another trainer plane crashed shortly after takeoff due to a bird strike and its right engine caught fire. In both cases, the pilots were safe and investigations began.
In May this year, Singh’s letter to his superior had gone viral on social media. The letter, titled “Permission to Bite the Bullet,” was full of military jargon in what was actually a marriage invitation. The Navy pilot had requested the approval of his superior to “sacrifice myself voluntarily in times of absolute peace, completely out of the line of duty and follow brave men in the spiral of the marriage cemetery.”
“I’m 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 just like all the split-second decisions we make in the air in En In the heat of combat, I can’t afford the time to re-evaluate my decision, ”Singh said, revealing that he was getting married.
And in his response handwritten in red ink, the commanding officer had warned him “Welcome to hell!”
(With tickets from Krishn Kaushik and Smita Nair)
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