The British-built Jaguar caught fire and veered off the runway during take-off from the airbase but the pilot was rescued by firefighters, airforce spokesman squadron leader Mahesh Upasani said.

Eyewitnesses said the aircraft was gathering speed for taking off when it caught fire near a water tank and three fire tenders rushed to prevent the aircraft from blowing up.

"The extent of the damage to the aircraft is being assessed and an enquiry has been ordered into the incident," the spokesman said.

The accident came just over a week after the pilot and co-pilot of an Indian MiG-21 died after their fighter plane crashed at a military airport in Indian Kashmir.

The Indian Air Force, the world's fourth largest, has been plagued by accidents among its ageing fleet of Russian-made MiGs.

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

WAR.WIRE