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The mishap took place at 3:50 pm seven km away from Bagdogra airfield, IAF officials said.
Soon after the crash, an IAF rescue team on a Chetak helicopter flew to the accident site and rushed the pilot to a nearby military hospital, the officials said.
A court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident, they added. The sources said prime facie, it appears that the jet developed a technical snag soon after take-off.
This is the second mishap involving an IAF plane this year. On Tuesday, a MIG-27 fighter jet had crashed near Hashimara airbase, just a few kilometres away from Bagdogra, killing the pilot, Wing Commander Oswald.
Last year, the IAF had recorded 11 air mishaps, of which five involved MIG-21 aircraft. The MiG aircraft had earned the sobriquet of a “flying coffin” in the late 90s following a series of crashes. To prove its worth, the then Defence Minister George Fernandes had flown in the aircraft in 2003.
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