Sukhoi fighter jet crashes during landing in Pune; technical fault suspected

PUNE: An IAF Sukhoi fighter jet crashed while landing at around 10.25 pm last night. The runway at Pune International Airport was temporarily closed following the incident. The airport operations resumed at around 9 am this morning.

Initial information is that the accident was caused by a problem in the alignment of the aircraft's wheels during landing. The aircraft was on a routine night training flight when it crashed on the runway. The IAF said that the pilots on board are safe and there was no other damage.

The accident completely disrupted domestic and international flights from Pune airport. Many flights were cancelled. Some were diverted to other airports. IndiGo was the most affected. Services of Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa Air and Air India Express were also affected. It took hours to restore the runway to normal working condition.

This is the second reported accident involving a Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft this year. On March 5 this year, a Sukhoi aircraft crashed in Karbi Anglong district of Assam, killing two pilots.