Sukhoi Crash Raises Fresh IAF Safety Concerns
AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE » OCTOBER 24, 2014 by NEELAM MATHEWS The Indian air force fleet of some 200 Sukhoi Su-30MKI combat jets has been grounded after a crash. (Photo: Chris Pocock) October 23, 2014, 1:36 PM The crash of an Indian Air Force ( IAF ) Sukhoi Su-30 MKI on October 14 has led to the temporary grounding of the entire fleet of some 200 jets. The IAF ’s safety record is again under scrutiny, with concerns about training and maintenance being voiced unofficially. The aircraft crashed approximately 20 km from Pune airbase, near Mumbai, after both K- 36DM zero-zero ejection seats inadvertently fired. The pilots survived the ejections. “A Court of Enquiry is in progress and certain specific checks are being conducted on the aircraft,” said a Ministry of Defense (MoD) statement. A senior former IAF maintenance officer told AIN , on condition of anonymity: “It is like...