The aircraft crashed near Hashimara, 600 kilometres (372 miles) north of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, close to India's border with Bhutan, Squadron Leader Mahesh Upasani said.
"As of now, we have no reports of damage to life or property. The pilot is safe. The air force has ordered a court of enquiry to investigate the cause of the crash."
The Indian air force's ageing fleet has been plagued by aircraft crashes, particularly Russian-made MiG-21s.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2006