IAF pilot killed as MiG-21 Bison crashes in Punjab field
In an unfortunate turn of events, an IAF MiG-21 Bison aircraft crashed during heavy rain in a field in Punjab's Moga district, killing the pilot Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary, officials said. The aircraft was on a training sortie from Suratgarh in Rajasthan when it crashed in Langeana village on Thursday night, said Moga Superintendent of Police Gurdeep Singh.
An inquiry has been ordered into the incident
The Indian Air Force has ordered a Court of Inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident and said it condoles the tragic loss of its officer. "It was raining heavily at the time of the crash," Singh said, adding that there was no other loss of life or damage. "Had the aircraft crashed over houses, it could have caused heavy casualties," he added.
IAF expressed grief at the tragic incident
Pilot apparently broke his neck upon impact from landing
The pilot's body was found about two kilometer from the crash site, barely 200 meters from a couple of big havelis in the area. "The pilot appeared to have deployed a parachute in a bid to land safely on the ground. It seems he broke his neck upon impact from the landing," Moga SP said.
Medical teams had reached the crash site
According to the information Singh got, the aircraft had taken off from Suratgarh in Rajasthan for Jagraon near Ludhiana and was on the way back after a training sortie when it crashed. Singh said that IAF officials from Halwara and Bathinda with medical teams and ambulances had reached the crash site, about 12 km from Baghapurana town on the Mudki road.
Accidents involving MiG-21 aircraft are not uncommon
Earlier this year in March, a senior fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force Group, Captain Ashish Gupta, died after a MiG-21 Bison fighter jet crashed while taking off at Gwalior. Official figures say that over 20 MiG-21s have been involved in accidents since 2010. Between 2003 and 2013, 38 MiG-21 aircraft crashed. MiG-21 accidents. have reportedly killed over 170 pilots till date.
