Budapest - A pilot escaped serious injury Thursday afternoon when he ejected from the cockpit of his MiG-29 fighter plane just before it crashed near Kecskemet, central Hungary, the Hungarian defence ministry said.

The ministry said that the fighter plane hit trouble as it prepared to land at the Szentgyorgyi Dezso air base and then crashed into an uninhabited area.

"The pilot ejected, his condition is satisfactory and he is under observation at the Kecskemet county hospital," the ministry said in a statement.

Defence Minister Imre Szekeres went to the accident scene where authorities were investigating.

Hungary has previously lost two of its MiG-29 fighters to accidents - one in 2005 and one in 1998, when the pilot also died. (dpa)