Last Friday, during a routine exercise with an Indian Navy ship, Saxena was forced to ditch his Sea Harrier into the sea 15 km off the Goa coast. Navy officials claimed that the plane had been only seven to eight years old and in good condition.

Outgoing Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, who happened to be in Goa when the accident occurred, had said that 'every crash was a matter of concern'. But had ruled out the possibility of susceptibility of Sea Harriers to accidents saying they were perfectly good machines. 'The Sea Harriers have gone through a mid-life upgrade too,' the admiral said.