A FIGHTER pilot managed to save his life in the nick of time by using his ejector seat just moments before his jet turned into a fireball.
Hair-raising footage shows the tail of the £17-Million MiG fighter consumed by flames as it attempted to take off from a runway.
The plane can be seen hurtling down the runway and the pilot using his ejector seat just before flames engulf the rest of the aircraft.
The pilot’s parachute then opens as he floats safely back down to the ground and the jet continues careering down the runway and out of shot.
The incident took place at an airfield in the town of Babruysk in eastern Belarus where the country’s air force was carrying out a military exercise.
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The video of the stricken MiG-29 was filmed by eyewitnesses during military training of Belorussian air forces.
Local reports suggest the fire started in the engine but the cause has not been confirmed by officials. The pilot was reported to be unhurt.
The Belorussian ministry of defence said it had started an investigation into the incident, which took place in February but was only made public this month.
In a statement, officials said: "No one was injured. The plane did not leave the territory of the airport."
The MiG-29 was first flown in the 1970s and designed by the Soviet Union to match the capabilities of American fighter jets at the time.
Each is reported to cost about £17million and is still used by air forces today including those belonging to Russia, India, and Ukraine.
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