MiG-21 aircraft of Indian Air Force crashes, pilot killed

NEW DELHI: A MiG-21 Bison aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed on Wednesday while taking off for a combat training mission at an airbase in central India.

Group Captain A Gupta lost his life in the fatal accident. A court of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident, the Indian Air Force said in a statement.

IAF expressed deep condolences over the death of the pilot and said that it stands “firmly with his family members”.

The IAF lost Group Captain A Gupta in the tragic accident. IAF expresses deep condolences and stands firmly with the family members. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) March 17, 2021

The incident comes two months after a MiG-21 fighter jet of the IAF crashed near Suratgarh in Rajasthan during a training sortie due to a technical malfuntion. The pilot managed to eject safely.

The Indian Air Force has lost 27 aircraft, including 15 fighter jets and helicopters, in crashes since 2016, a report quoted an Indian minister as saying in Parliament in 2019.