Two IAF aircrew members were killed on the scene as a Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district during a training mission. The accident followed a takeoff from the Jorhat airbase on Thursday evening and the flight had trouble getting back to the commander. The deaths of Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar were confirmed in a statement (Friday, March 6) of the IAF.
The Air Force said the pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident and expressed condolences to their families in a post on X. “IAF acknowledges the loss of Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar, who sustained fatal injuries in the Su-30 crash. All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” the statement said.
IAF acknowledges the loss of Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar, who sustained fatal injuries in the Su-30 crash. All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences, and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.@DefenceMinIndia@SpokespersonMoD… pic.twitter.com/zUtfUJ2ewr
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) March 6, 2026
Aircraft Lost Contact After Takeoff
The fighter jet, with two seats, took off from the Jorhat airbase in Assam, according to officials, in the midst of a routine training sortie. They were asked to indicate the plane's status as communication with the aircraft was lost at approximately 7:42 pm. Earlier Defence PRO Lieutenant Colonel Mahender Rawat said the aircraft had been reported “overdue,” failing to report within the expected time frame. In aviation, an aircraft is considered overdue if it fails to arrive at its destination or if it fails to report within 30 minutes of its estimated time of arrival or last known position. This raises the risk of search and rescue (SAR) operations automatically.
Debris Found: After Night Search Operation
The IAF and their search and rescue teams, with the assistance from civil authorities, police, and local villagers, began a search overnight to recover the missing aircraft. A defence spokesman in Guwahati said the wreckage of the jet was found on the scene early Friday morning. The search team slogged through rugged terrain to the crash site and discovered the debris at approximately 1 a.m. No additional details on the crash's cause have been released. An inquiry is anticipated into what caused the crash.
About Su-30MKI Fighter Jet
Su-30MKI, a Russian aerospace company Sukhoi's twin-engine two-seat multirole fighter aircraft, is the second of their breed. Currently produced in India on terms of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), it is now being flown under licence for the Indian Air Force. The IAF flies over 260 Su-30MKI jets in its fleet and ranks as one of the mainstay aircraft of India’s combat fleet.
This is not the first incident involving the fighter aircraft. In June 2023, a Sukhoi fighter plane crashed in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. In January 2023, just after departing from the Gwalior airbase, another Su-30 aircraft crashed. Authorities are required to do a thorough investigation into the latest crash in order to learn what made up the accident.
