Black box of IAF trainer fighter jet found

The site where an Indian Air Force (IAF) trainee aircraft crashed in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district on March 20, 2018. The trainee pilot ejected safely and was taken to a hospital. (Photo: SNS)


A day after a trainer fighter jet of Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed on the Odisha-Jharkhand border, officers recovered its black box.

A team of crash investigators of the IAF conducted a detailed investigation at the site and recovered the black box from the wreckage of the aircraft on Wednesday. It will help the investigating team to ascertain the cause of the crash.

“On getting information about the crash of the aircraft, cops from Mayurbhanj rushed to spot and a team led by Jamshedpur SP Pranab Anand Jha reached the spot around 1 pm. The plane crashed at around 12.30 pm during a routine training and the pilot Arvind Joshi managed to eject to safety and sustained minor injuries. He was immediately brought to Baharagora hospital in Jharkhand state by the police and locals. The IAF  later airlifted him to Kalaikunda in West Bengal for further treatment, an official informed.

According to the official, it will take another day to collect all the wreckage of the aircraft from the crash site.

The Indian Air Force trainer aircraft had crashed on the Subarnarekha riverbed near Topa Ghat area of Mahultangiri village near Jharpokharia in Mayurbhanj district on Tuesday.