In this Sep 23, 2014 file photo, an Indian Air Force (IAF) MIG-29 jet takes off during a routine flying sortie at the IAF Air Base at Jamnagar some 350 kms from Ahmedabad on September 23, 2014. (SAM PANTHAKY / AFP)

NEW DELHI — An Indian Air Force (IAF)fighter jet "Mig-29" crashed in the northern state of Punjab on Friday after it developed a technical snag, said an official statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.

The crash took place at around 10:45 am (local time) when the aircraft was airborne on a training mission

The crash took place at around 10:45 am (local time) when the aircraft was airborne on a training mission.

It had taken off from an IAF base near Jalandhar city in Punjab.

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"The aircraft had developed a technical snag and the pilot ejected safely as he was unable to control the aircraft. The pilot has been rescued by a helicopter," said the official statement, and a Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of accident.

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The pilot of the ill-fated aircraft was admitted in a hospital for medical checkup. No casualties were reported on the ground, as the jet crashed on an open field.