Indian Airforce Fighter Aircraft MIG-21 Crashes in Rajasthan, Both Pilots dead
IAF Fighter jet MIG-21 crashed in the Barmer district of Rajasthan on Thursday evening. District Collector Lok Bandhu confirmed that both the pilots have died in the crash.
The twin-seater MIG-21 trainer aircraft, which had taken off from the Uttarlai airbase, crashed near Bhimda Village during a night flying sortie around 09:10 PM on Thursday. Both pilots suffered fatal injuries.
The IAF tweeted, “At 9:10 pm this evening, an IAF MiG 21 trainer aircraft met with an accident in the western sector during a training sortie. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries.”
“IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families.
A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident”, IAF tweeted again.
Union Home Minister Sh. Rajnath Singh has shared his deep condolence on such loss, and said, “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.”
As per the statistics, At least Six MIG-21s have crashed since January 2021 and killed 5 pilots.
Overall, 44 members of military forces have lost their lives in 46 Aircraft & Helicopter accidents in the last 5 years.
The MiG-21 is a Soviet-era single-engine multirole fighter/ground attack aircraft. It has a poor safety record and is expected to be withdrawn from service within the next decade or to get replaced with modern ones.
