2 pilots of the Indian airforce killed on Thursday after MiG-21 jet crashed during a training sortie in Barmer. Rajasthan.
Barmer Deputy SP Jaggu Ram said that the locals reported a fireball crashing in the ground the debris was spread over 1 Km and the impact left a carater 15 feet deep. The damage was such that they could not figure out if there was one or 2 pilots in the aircrafts. But no damage to the locals has been reported
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari following the crash and wrote on twitter” Deeply anguished by the loss of two Air Warriors due to an accident of IAF's Mig-21 trainer aircraft near Barmer in Rajasthan.Their service to the nation will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of sadness.”
According to the Airforce statement- “A twin seater Mig-21 trainer aircraft of the IAF was airborne for a training sortie from Utarlai air base in Rajasthan this evening. Around 9:10 pm, the aircraft met with an accident near Barmer. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries."
IAF mentions that they deeply regret the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families.
According to the IAF’s statement a court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident.
The aircraft that the pilots were flying was a MiG-21, it 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attack aircraft that once formed the backbone of the IAF fleet.The aircraft has a poor safety record and will be withdrawn from the air force shortly and will be replaced by more modern and safety efficient aircrafts.
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