WATCH: Moments before Indian Air Force jet crashed in Gujarat killing one pilot; Court of Inquiry ordered

An Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot died and another sustained injuries after a two-seater Jaguar aircraft crashed during a night mission shortly after taking off from Jamnagar Airfield, an IAF said on Thursday. No civilian casualty was reported in the incident.

A CCTV footage of the crash shows moments before the jet crashed on Wednesday night.

A small dot (the IAF jet) can be seen flying in the top left corner of the video, and then suddenly plummeting at a high speed. A flash of light lights up the sky as the Jaguar fighter jet hits the ground.

The fighter jet crashed at around 9.30 pm on Wednesday at an open field in Suvarda village, 12 km from Jamnagar city, and caught fire, police earlier said.

While the police found one pilot in an injured state at the spot, a search operation was launched to find the second one, who went missing after the crash. The second pilot was then taken to the government-run GG Hospital in the city but later succumbed to his injuries.

IAF orders inquiry

The Indian Air Force has ordered an inquiry into the jet crash at a village near Jamnagar IAF station in Gujarat.

In a statement on Thursday morning, the IAF said the pilots, who were on a night mission, experienced a “technical malfunction” in the aircraft before the crash on Wednesday night.

“An IAF Jaguar two seater aircraft airborne from Jamnagar airfield crashed during a night mission. The pilots faced a technical malfunction and initiated ejection, avoiding harm to the airfield and local population,” the statement said.

“Unfortunately, one pilot succumbed to his injuries, while the other is receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Jamnagar. The IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident,” it added.

Ambala crash

Earlier, on March 7, a Jaguar fighter aircraft crashed near Ambala in Haryana, with the pilot ejecting safely, IAF officials had said.

According to officials, the aircraft had taken off from the Ambala Air Force base for a routine evening sortie when it encountered a system malfunction and crashed.

The IAF said that the pilot successfully manoeuvred the aircraft away from inhabited areas before ejecting safely.

“A Jaguar aircraft of the IAF crashed at Ambala during a routine training sortie today after encountering a system malfunction. The pilot manoeuvred the aircraft away from any habitation on the ground before ejecting safely. An inquiry has been ordered by the IAF to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF said in a post on X.