March 28, 2024

Flight Lieutenant Aman Singh Hans, a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force, took off with a MiG-29 twin-engine fighter jet for a long-range ferry mission for Exercise Gagan Shakti scheduled in April.

Flight Lieutenant Hans was airborne for 20 minutes when at 28,000 feet or 8.5 km from the ground, the pilot experienced a sudden blast and the Head-Up Display (HUD) and “visual reference blanking off”. At 28,000 feet, the atmospheric pressure is very low, the air is thin and Oxygen levels drop drastically.

The pilot realised the fighter jet’s canopy was blown off at 28,000 feet.

Representational image of a MiG-29 operated by the Indian Air Force

The pilot, flying at very high speed, was exposed to temperatures of – 40 degrees Celsius. There were dangers of hypoxia and sickness. He quickly took control of the aircraft while flying on head-down instruments – the displays located on the cockpit panel – as opposed to HUD which projects information on the windshield. Flight Lt Aman announced an emergency using standby radio control and ensured the safety of any civil aircraft flying in the proximity. 

He descended to an altitude of 3 kilometres from 8 when the canopy blew off and landed at the nearest airbase with no radio reception and severe pain in the eyes.

January 25, 2025

Flight Lt Aman Singh Hans avoided a catastrophe. He saved the aircraft and landed safely. For displaying indomitable valour and exemplary gallantry beyond the call of duty” the Government of India has awarded him a Shaurya Chakra – the third highest peacetime gallantry award – on Republic Day this year. Flight Lieutenant Hans is among eight personnel awarded the prestigious gallantry medal on the eve of the Republic Day.

The officer was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2019 and since 2020, he has been flying the MiG-29.

MiG-29, NATO name ‘Fulcrum’ and Indian name ‘Baaz’, is an air superiority fighter jet originating in Soviet Russia. It was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1987, initially with two squadrons – No. 28 and No. 47 Squadrons.

‘Not The First Time’

There have been three known incidents including the one on March 28 last year when a MiG-29’s canopy blew off mid-air.

On June 1, 2016, Squadron Leader Rijul Sharma was authorised to fly an air sortie in a MiG 29 fighter jet to test the aircraft at supersonic speeds at a height of 10 Km. While conducting the ‘Supersonic Flying Corridor’, he was 110 kilometres away from the air base he took off at Mach 1.1 or 1,200 km/hr, and the canopy of the aircraft shattered.

Squadron Leader Rijul Sharma
Photo Credit: www.bharat-rakshak.com

This led to explosive decompression of the glass pieces of the canopy hitting the shoulder of the pilot. He was exposed to extremely low temperatures of minus 28 degrees Celsius and a very severe wind blast due to supersonic speed. His right shoulder was severely injured but the pilot managed to regain control of the aircraft and descended to an altitude of 3 kilometres at the same time reduced speed for effective control.

The pilot managed to land safely and avoided any catastrophe. He managed to avert any disaster since he was flying to a petrochemical factory. Squadron Leader Rijul Sharma was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry).

Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, who was a Squadron Leader in 1994, shared an incident when his MiG-29’s “canopy flew off” at Mach 1.9 speed (almost two times the speed of sound).

Speaking at the launch of the book ‘India’s Most Fearless 3’ Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari shared the incident and said, “He was conducting an air test on the MiG-29”, adding that his canopy “flew off” and the time of useful consciousness in such a situation and the time left after explosive decompression at such an altitude and speed – was only six seconds.”

Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari

He was flying at an altitude of 12.3 km and Mach 1.9 speed and the outside temperature was – 53 degrees Celsius. Then a Squadron Leader in the air force, Mr Chaudhari said he had to quickly descend and “get into a foetal position to avoid wind blast.” He landed back safely.

Twenty-seven years later in 2021, he took charge as the chief of the Indian Air Force.

New Delhi:

A video showing an Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-29 fighter jet hurtling towards the ground in a flat spin has gone viral.

The fighter jet crashed in a field near Uttar Pradesh’s Agra earlier today. The IAF has said the MiG-29 encountered a “system malfunction” before it crashed. The pilot ejected safely after taking the crippled fighter jet to a direction where there would be no damage or casualties on the ground.

In the video, the MiG-29 is seen falling fast in a flat spin before it hits the ground.

A flat spin occurs when an aircraft enters an uncontrolled spinning motion. It is a dangerous and potentially a life-threatening flight condition.

The IAF said it has ordered an enquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident.

Before today’s accident, the last crash of a MiG-29 fighter jet happened on September 2 in Rajasthan’s Barmer. A “critical technical snag” was cited for the accident then. The pilot had ejected safely.

The erstwhile USSR built the first MiG-29 in 1983. India bought them in 1987 and inducted them the same year. Since then the fighter jet has been upgraded to keep up with new technologies.

The Indian Navy and its Italian counterpart held a historic bilateral maritime engagement off the West Coast last week, featuring, for the first time, a maiden exercise by Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) from both navies.

A Carrier Strike Group is a battle formation consisting of aircraft carriers and escorts like destroyers, frigates, support ships, small boats etc.

One of the highlights of the maritime exercise was the participation of the Indian Air Force, which carried out manoeuvres with Italian CSG aircraft, including Large Force Engagements and Combat Missions.

The maritime exercise was held in two phases. The harbour phase saw ‘Subject Matter Expert’ exchanges and other key interactions as well as a Pre-Sail Planning Conference that included the participation of the Indian Air Force.

The sea phase took place on October 5 and 6, led by the two carriers INS Vikramaditya and ITS Cavour with INS Visakhapatnam, a stealth guided-missile destroyer, and ITS Alpino.

ITS Cavour is the Italian Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier. It operates the US fifth-generation F-35B lightning fighter jet and the British Harriers. Meanwhile, ITS Alpino an Italian frigate, was accompanying the aircraft carrier in the exercise.

The two Carrier Strike Groups held operations with their integral fighter aircraft and helicopters, for combined Large Force Engagements, Air Combat Missions, Helicopter Operations and Search And Rescue missions as well as co-ordinated weapon firings and joint manoeuvres, “to underscore joint operations and Command & Control capabilities and enhance interoperability,” the navy said.

A picture showed the Italian Navy’s two F-35B lightning and Harriers flying with two MiG-29s over INS Vikramaditya.

Last week, Vice Admiral Aurelio De Carolis, commander-in-chief of the Italian Fleet, praised the Indian Navy’s performance in the Indian Ocean. While speaking to the media on attacks on commercial ships by pirates in the region, Vice Admiral Carolis said, “We have seen that with the reduction of the flow of commerce through the Red Sea, most of the ships have been diverted to the Cape of Good Hope and this in some way might have fuelled a comeback of piracy in the area and we have seen the Indian Navy… I must say, they are doing an excellent job. At the end of the day, it is called the Indian Ocean, not by chance.”

In 2023, Italy joined the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative (IPOI)’s Science and Technology Pillar, the Italian Navy Ship (ITS Morosini) made a port call in Mumbai in August 2023. Indian Navy Ship INS Sumedha held Maritime PASSEX Exercise along with ITS Morosini off the coast of Sardinia in April 2023. Italian Navy also participated in the MILAN 2024 Naval Exercises held off the coast of Vishakapatnam in February 2024.