An Indian combat plane, MiG-29, crashed in Indian Punjab on Friday during a routine training mission, according to an Indian media report.

The circular says that the pilot was safely ejected before the accident and was taken to a nearby hospital.

An Indian Air Force spokesman then released details of the accident and said the plane was on a training mission near Jalandhar when it encountered a technical problem.The pilot said he was safely ejected. However, he was unable to control the plane.

The report added that the Indian pilot was later flown by members of the Indian Defense Forces.

Breakdowns involving combat aircraft are not uncommon in India, and are in the midst of an improvement in their Soviet-era armed forces.

Most of the accidents involved the MiGs that were purchased by India decades ago from the Soviet Union, giving them the name flying coffin.

Last year in September an IAF Mig-21 crashed in Madhya Pradesh, and the two pilots were able to safely eject it.

In early 2019 another MiG-21 Bison  crashed in Rajasthan after it hit a bird.

India is investing billions of dollars in upgrading its air force. He signed a contract to buy 36 Dassault Rafale fighters from France for $ 8.8 billion.