New Delhi: An Indian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet crashed near Agra on Monday during a routine training mission. According to an IAF statement, the aircraft encountered a system malfunction mid-flight, prompting the pilot to steer the jet away from populated areas before ejecting safely. An inquiry has been launched to determine the cause of the crash.

In a similar incident on September 2, another IAF MiG-29 crashed during a night training mission near Barmer, Rajasthan, following a technical failure. The pilot safely ejected, with no reported casualties or property damage, as confirmed by Barmer SP Narendra Meena. Meena noted the crash occurred away from populated areas and that the jet caught fire upon impact.

Earlier, on June 4, an IAF Sukhoi 30 MKI crashed near Shirasgaon village in Maharashtra's Nashik district. Both the pilot and co-pilot ejected safely, though the aircraft caught fire and scattered debris over a 500-meter area. IAF and HAL security teams subsequently investigated the site.