An Indian Air Force pilot was killed after a British-made Jaguar jet fighter crashed Wednesday in northern Uttar Pradesh state, an air force spokesman said. "The pilot sustained fatal injuries. A court of enquiry has been set up to look into the cause of the crash," the spokesman said. The aircraft plunged after take off from the Indian Air Force's Gorakhpur base and crashed near the city of Khalilabad, nearly 300 miles (483 kilometres) north-west of the base.
The Indian Air Force has been plagued by crashes of its aging fleet, particularly Russian-made MiG 21 fighter jets.
Four Jaguars, built by BAE Systems, crashed in quick succession in early 2004, killing three pilots including one whose parachute failed to open.