The pilot, however, managed to eject safely, PTI said quoting an Indian air force spokesman. Several others on the ground were injured.

The spokesman said the Russian-made MiG-23 aircraft went down near the Halwara air base in Ludhiana district of Punjab during a training mission. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

The Indian Air Force, the world's fourth largest, has been plagued by mishaps, particularly with its ageing fleet of MiG aircraft.

Official figures show at least 221 MiGs, worth tens of millions of dollars, were lost in crashes between 1991 and 2000, killing about 100 Indian pilots.

A high-level meeting chaired by Defence Minister George Fernandes in November decided to phase out the ageing MiG-21 fleet.

WAR.WIRE