Barmer: Two pilots were killed after an Indian Air Force fighter aircraft crashed in Barmer on Thursday night.
“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,” the IAF said in a tweet.
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
The twin-seater MiG 21 trainer aircraft was airborne for a training sortie from Barmer’s Utarlai air base on Thursday evening.
Earlier, the Rajasthan police had said the impact of the crash was such that they could not make out how many people were in the plane.
The Air Force in a statement said, “IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families.”
The MiG-21 is a Soviet-era single-engine multirole fighter/ground attack aircraft that once formed the backbone of the IAF fleet. The aircraft has a poor safety record and is expected to be withdrawn from service within the next decade by which time it will be replaced with more modern types.
According to the media report, IAF has some 70 MiG 21 jets which are a 1960s design but the ones being flown are 30-35 years or more in age. The IAF announced it intends to phase out the MiG 21 fleet by 2025.
(Vinayak)