MIG 21 aircraft crashes near Kurseong, pilot killed

Siliguri, Mar 1 (UNI) An Indian Air Force MiG-21 aircraft crashed near Kurseong in Darjeeling district today, killing its pilot on the spot.

The aircraft crashed at around 1300 hours at a place between Norbong tea estate and Shibkhola in Kurseong sub-division after taking off from the nearby Hasimara base on a practice sortie, official sources said.

They said immediately after the crash was noticed, an IAF team from nearby base rushed to the spot and launched a search for the pilot -- Squadron Leader S S Pandey -- whose body, was later recovered from near the wreckage of the aircraft.

This was the first incident of a MIG crash in this part of the country.

UNI