November 9, 2002	Saturday	Ramazan 3,1423

NEW DELHI, Nov 8: Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes met senior Indian air force (IAF) commanders on Friday to discuss maintenance and upkeep of fighter aircraft after the fatal crash of a British-made Jaguar earlier this week, an official said.

“The meeting was called to discuss the maintenance and upkeep problems of aircraft,” the defence ministry official said.

“The minister and air force officers are expected to discuss steps which will bring down the incidence of crashes,” he added.

On Tuesday a Jaguar jet crashed into a residential area during a training flight in the northern state of Haryana, killing nine people.

The black box of the aircraft, which is expected to throw light on the cause of the crash, had been recovered, a report said.—AFP