A MiG-21 fighter aircraft of the Air Force crashed in Rajasthan’s Barmer district two pilot lost their life. The reason for the crash is not yet known.
Two pilots have been killed when a MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashed in Rajasthan’s Barmer district on Thursday evening. The debris of the aircraft was found scattered on a half-kilometer stretch in Bhimda village in Barmer.
The Indian Air Force has ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident.
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.— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) July 28, 2022
“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,” the Indian Air Force said in a statement.
Their service to the nation will never be forgotten, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh condoling the death of the Air Force pilots.
“Deeply saddened to know two IAF pilots have lost their lives in the line of duty when an IAF MiG-21 trainer aircraft met with an accident in Barmer. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved families. May they remain strong to bear this loss. We stand with them and share their grief,” said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Indian Air Force and Defence minister expressed their condolences on Twitter and a court of inquiry had been set up to ascertain the cause of the accident.
The Russian-built Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 was included in the Air Force in the early 1960s and is known as the “flying coffins” because of their poor safety record. In March, Group Captain A Gupta had also lost his life due to the MiG -21 fighter jet accident.
Till now, more than 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians have died in MiG-21 crashes since 1970. Between 2003 and 2013, 38 MiG 21 fighter jets were lost in crashes.