Rajasthan (The Stellar News): On Thursday night a MIG-21 ‘Bison’ trainer aircraft crashed in Baytoo Rajasthan’s Barmer during a training sortie, both pilots, which were on board, did not survive.
The Indian Air Force confirmed the crash and in a statement said, “A twin-seater MIG-21 trainer aircraft of the IAF was airborne for a training sortie from Utarlai airbase in Rajasthan this evening. Around 9:10 pm, the aircraft met with an accident near Barmer. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries”.
“IAF deeply regrets the lost of the lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident”, the IAF statement added.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was briefed by IAF Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari about the MIG-21 crash. Rajnath Singh later mourned the demise of the pilots. He tweeted, “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”.
The IAF currently operates four squadrons of the MIG-21 Bison from the 1960s. The MIG-21s, which have the highest take-off and landing speed at 340km, have been making headlines for the wrong reasons, with supersonic fighters being involved in multiple crashes.
Last year alone, there were five MIG-21 crashes that claimed the lives of three pilots. From 1971-72, according to official statistics, over 400 of the 872 MIG-21s that were the part of the IAF fleet were lost to accidents. The crash record earned the aircraft notoriety, and said it started being termed as ‘Flying Coffin’ and the ‘Widow Maker’. The last of these MIG-21s, over 60% of which were license-produced in India, are set to be phased out in about four years.
Report: Deepanjot Kaur (Under Training)
