Article Posted on : - Jun 06, 2014

The MiG-29K fighter. A MiG photo

NEW DELHI (PTI): A MiG-29K naval combat aircraft has suffered damage while landing on aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya during operations in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Goa, a Navy official said Thursday.

The Russian-origin aircraft had taken off from the Naval airbase INS Hansa in Goa on Wednesday and was landing on the aircraft carrier when it carried out a "hard-landing" causing damage to the nose-wheel undercarriage, the official said.

The pilot of the aircraft is safe and further details of the damage are being assessed, he said.

The Navy has ordered a Board of Inquiry (BoI) into the incident on the aircraft carrier procured from Russia at a cost of over Rs 15,000 crore late last year.

In this incident onboard the 44,500 tonne warship, the pilot missed the first two arrester wires used as aid by the pilots for landing on the carrier, and while he was trying to take off again, it got stuck in the third arrester wire causing a hard-landing, Navy officials said.

The MiG-29Ks have been procured by India from Russia. The Navy has ordered a total of 45 MiG-29Ks.

India is the only country in the world which operates the twin engine naval fighters.