IAF plane crash-lands near Baghpat, pilots safe

A microlight aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday met with an accident and crash-landed in a field near Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. Both pilots are safe, the IAF said.

The aircraft took off from the Hindan airbase near Delhi for a routine bird reconnaissance sortie at 8.36 a.m. It developed a snag around half an hour later, approximately 24 nautical miles from the airbase.

The aircraft was "parachuted down" safely by the pilots.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of accident, the IAF said in a statement later in the day.

--IANS

mak/nir