MiG-21 crashes near Gwalior, both pilots eject safely
Gwalior, Sep 25: A MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday morning. Both the pilots, including a Group Captain and a squadron leader, managed to eject safely.
According to ANI, the MiG-21 was a trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force and the pilots included a Group Captain and a Squadron Leader.
The Indian Air Force lost 27 aircraft, including 15 fighter jets and helicopters, in crashes since 2016. In the 2016-17 fiscal, six IAF fighter jets, two helicopters, one transport aircraft and one trainer crashed. In 2017-18, the air force lost two fighter jets and one trainer aircraft in crashes.
The number rose sharply in 2018-19 with the IAF losing seven fighter jets, two helicopters and two trainers.
This
included
the
crash
of
the
MiG-21
fighter
jet
which
was
being
piloted
by
Wing
Commander
Abhinandan
Varthaman
during
a
dog-fight
with
Pakistan
Air
Force
planes
on
February
27.
On
the
same
day,
an
Mi-17
helicopter
also
crashed
killing
six
air
force
personnel.
In 2019-20, so far, an AN-32 transport aircraft crashed in Arunachal Pradesh, killing 13 air force personnel earlier this month.