Ground Report: Indian Air Force Su-30MKI Fighter Jet Shot Down Over Akhnoor – Two Pilots Eject Safely

AKHNOOR, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir - On the night of May 6-7, 2025, a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet of the Indian Air Force was shot down over the Akhnoor sector near the Line of Control (LoC) . According to ground reports and eyewitness accounts from local residents, both pilots successfully ejected from the aircraft before the wreckage impacted the ground.

The downing of the Su-30MKI was part of a larger aerial engagement that marked the heaviest Indian air losses in a single day since the 1971 war . Independent aviation databases have confirmed the incident, providing specific details about the aircraft, pilots, and crash location .

Crash Location and Coordinates

The Su-30MKI crashed approximately 8 kilometers from the LoC in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir .

• Coordinates: 32°56'02.06"N 74°42'46.07"E

• Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025

• Time: Approximately 02:00 PST (Pakistan Standard Time)

• Aircraft: Sukhoi Su-30MKI (twin-seat, twin-engine air superiority fighter)

• Owner/Operator: Indian Air Force

• Departure Airfield: Halwara Air Force Station

• Aircraft Damage: Destroyed

• Fatalities: 0

• Occupants: 2

The Engagement: How the Su-30MKI Was Shot Down

According to multiple independent sources, the Indian Air Force had launched Operation Sindoor, a large-scale air operation involving approximately 72 Indian fighter jets, including Su-30MKI, Rafale, Mirage-2000, and MiG-29 aircraft . The Indian formation was divided into nine combat teams, each comprising eight aircraft, tasked with striking nine targets across Pakistani territory .

Ground report of the SU-30 MKI that was shot down over Akhnoor; two pilots were also recovered as per locals.

32°56'02.06"N 74°42'46.07"E pic.twitter.com/oOXhrfxpj9

- Mohsin Ali (@Mohsin_o2) May 6, 2026

The Su-30MKI was reportedly intercepted and engaged by a Pakistan Air Force JF-17 Thunder fighter jet. According to Pakistani military sources and independent aviation databases, the JF-17, using a PL-15 Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile, cleanly shot down the Indian Su-30MKI in the skies over Akhnoor .

The engagement took place at night under Beyond Visual Range (BVR) conditions, with the entire aerial front stretching for approximately 750 kilometers from the Kashmir highlands to the Thar Desert .

Pilots Identified - Both Survive

According to local residents and confirmed by multiple independent sources, both pilots ejected safely from the crippled aircraft. The pilots were identified as:

Local residents reported seeing two parachutes descending from the sky after the engagement . Following the ejection, the local police reportedly collected the parachutes from the crash site . The pilots were rushed to the 170 Military Hospital in Akhnoor, where their condition was reported as stable .

The presence of the specific Russian-made K-36DM ejection seat components and parachute system helped confirm the downed aircraft was indeed an Su-30MKI, as Pakistan does not operate any twin-tailed, twin-seat fighter jets with this ejection system .

Local Witness Accounts: 'We Saw the Pilots Eject'

Residents of the Akhnoor sector reported hearing loud explosions and jet engine noise before witnessing the aerial engagement. One local eyewitness described seeing two parachutes descending, confirming that both pilots had successfully ejected before the aircraft crashed .

Shortly after the crash, Indian military and police personnel cordoned off the area and began collecting debris. Locals noted that Indian authorities moved quickly to secure the site and remove wreckage.

Independent journalists and social media users posted images of the crash site, including photographs of the twin-tail structure from the Su-30MKI, which confirmed the aircraft type . Pakistan's military spokesperson also provided the precise coordinates of the crash during a press briefing as corroborating evidence .

Broader Air Battle Context

The downing of the Su-30MKI did not occur in isolation. The night of May 6-7, 2025, saw one of the most intense aerial dogfights in modern history, involving more than 130 aircraft from both sides .

According to Pakistan's military, the total Indian losses that night included:

• Three Dassault Rafale fighters

• One Sukhoi Su-30MKI

• One MiG-29UPG

• One Mirage-2000 (disputed between Mirage and additional MiG)

• One IAI Heron drone

Independent aviation databases have confirmed the Su-30MKI loss at Akhnoor and one Rafale loss at Bathinda . The UK-based publication The Independent has also corroborated the crash of an Indian Air Force Su-30MKI near the Line of Control, injured pilot transported to a military hospital. The Rafale wreckage at Bathinda was identified by tail number BS001, marking the first-ever combat loss of a Dassault Rafale fighter jet anywhere in the world .

Aftermath

The crash site at the coordinates provided in this report remains a significant marker of the May 2025 conflict. Local residents continue to recall the night when the Indian Air Force's "pride" - the Su-30MKI - was brought down in their village area, and the pilots' parachutes descended from the night sky.

One year after the incident, the Indian government has not officially acknowledged the specific circumstances of the Su-30MKI loss, maintaining that its aircraft were lost only due to "technical failures" or "accidents." However, the ground report from Akhnoor - supported by eyewitness accounts, parachute recovery, pilot identification, and international aviation databases - tells a different story.

The two pilots, Wing Commander Lalit Garg and Flight Lieutenant Mundit Tewari, survived. The aircraft did not. And the wreckage coordinates 32°56'02.06"N 74°42'46.07"E serve as a permanent, geo-located reminder of the Indian Air Force's losses during Operation Sindoor.