A MiG-21 fighter jet of Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Suratgarh, Rajasthan on Tuesday evening. The pilot managed to eject safely. The primary cause of the crash is suspected to be - technical malfunction. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to probe the accident, the IAF said.
"During a training sortie in the western sector, a MiG-21 Bison aircraft experienced a major technical malfunction this evening. The pilot ejected safely at about 2015 hrs. There is no loss of life. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," the Indian Air Force said in a tweet.
In 2019, in a similar incident, an Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison aircraft airborne from Air force Station Nal for a routine sortie had crashed near Bikaner, Rajasthan. Initial inputs had indicated the likely cause of the accident as bird-hit after take off.
An upgraded version of the MiG-21 fighter that was inducted into the IAF in the 1960s, the MiG-21 Bison are in the final phase of service and are slated to be phased out over the next decade.
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *