Two pilots killed as IAF's MiG-21 trainer aircraft crashes in Rajasthan's Barmer

Jaipur, July 28: Two pilots of the Indian Air Force have been killed after a MiG-21 trainer aircraft crashed in Barmer city of Rajasthan on Thursday. The debris of the aircraft was found scattered on a half-kilometer stretch in Bhimda village in Barmer district. The area's district collector

The ill-fated twin-seater Mig-21 trainer aircraft had taken off for a night training sortie. It burst into flames mid-air and crashed to ground, leaving no time for the pilots to eject. The crash occured at 9.10 pm.

''A twin-seater MiG-21 trainer aircraft of the IAF was airborne for a training sortie from Utarlai air base in Rajasthan this evening. Around 9:10 pm, the aircraft met with an accident near Barmer. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries," the IAF said.

"IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families," it said, adding that a court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and inquired about the crash. He was apprised of the incident by the Air Chief.

He also expressed his deep anguish at the loss of lives. "Deeply anguished by the loss of two Air Warriors due to an accident of IAF's Mig-21 trainer aircraft near Barmer in Rajasthan. Their service to the nation will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of sadness," he wrote on Twitter.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the crash.

The crash has once again turned the spotlight on India's longest-serving fighter plane, its safety record and the IAF's plans to replace the ageing jets with newer ones in the coming years.

The air force got its first single-engine MiG-21 in 1963, and it progressively inducted 874 variants of the Soviet-origin supersonic fighters to bolster its combat potential. Of the 874 MiG-21 variants inducted by the IAF, over 60% were licence-produced in India.