MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashes, pilot killed

Jaipur: In a tragic incident, a MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed on Monday while landing at Uttarlai airbase in Rajasthan's Barmer district, killing the pilot.

The IAF in a statement said, " one MiG–21 Bison crashed at the Uttarlai airbase at about 0930 hours. The pilot sustained fatal injuries."

The officials said that the aircraft had taken off with its Flight Lieutenant- rank pilot from the airbase for a routine training sortie and crashed while landing at the runway.

Defence Ministry spokesperson in Jodhpur Colonel S D Goswami said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the reason behind the crash. There was no reported loss to civilian life or property, he said.

Last month also, a MiG-21 plane from the same airbase had crashed but the pilots had managed to eject safely.

The vintage MiG-21s have been in service for over 40 years now and they are expected to continue flying till 2018-19 in view of the delays in the induction of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft.

The IAF had inducted over 900 MiG-21s in its fleet over a period of 40 years, half of which were lost in different crashes. This year, this is the sixth crash involving an IAF aircraft and fifth of a fighter plane.

The aircraft which have crashed this year include one each of MiG-29, MiG-27, Su-30MKI and Mi-17V5 medium-lift helicopter. Two MiG-21s have crashed this year.

(With PTI inputs)