A pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was killed on Wednesday after his MiG-21 fighter jet crashed in central India, officials said.
The accident took place when the aircraft was taking off for a combat training mission at an undisclosed airbase, Hindustan Times reported.
“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,” the IAF said in a tweet.
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 cause of the crash was not immediately known and the IAF so far has not identified the place where the crash took place. The IAF has ordered an inquiry into the accident.
There have been a number of incidents involving MiG-21 in the last few years. In January, a MiG-21 Bison aircraft had “experienced a major technical malfunction” during a training exercise. At the time, the pilot had ejected safely and there was no casualty.
More than half of India’s fleet of 872 MiGs has been lost to crashes over the last four decades, the country’s then Defence Minister Arackaparambil Kurien Antony told parliament in 2012.
India is phasing out its MiG-21 squadron recently following frequent incidents of jet crashes. It hopes to spend $100 billion over a decade to upgrade its military, often through partnerships between foreign and local companies. But many deals have been stalled or scrapped, due to corruption allegations and the outgoing government’s slow pace.
