The aircraft belonging to the air force's Adventure Cell, captained by Flight Lieutenant S. Shekhar, developed engine trouble about 15 minutes after takeoff from Hindon airbase near New Delhi, the official said.

The aircraft hit a tree while it tried to land, but the two pilots on board escaped unhurt, he said.

An enquiry was ordered into the incident, he added.

The Indian Air Force has been plagued by crashes, mostly of its mainstay MiG-21 aircraft. Defence Minister George Fernandes flew in one of the ageing Russian-built MiGs on August 1 in a bid to end their nickname of "flying coffins."

Official figures show at least 273 MiGs, worth tens of millions of dollars, were lost in crashes between 1991 and 2003, killing more than 100 pilots.

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