Hanumangarh, May 08, 2023: An Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter aircraft has crashed near Hanumangarh in Rajasthan during its routine morning sortie. The aircraft had taken off from Suratgarh. While the pilot walked out of the incident safely, the death of two civilians has been confirmed by the police. According to sources, the pilot is safe and the army’s helicopter has reached the accident site for rescue.The aircraft had taken off from Suratgarh according to IAF Sources.
Earlier in January, one pilot lost his life after two Indian Air Force fighter jets - a Sukhoi Su-30 and a Mirage 2000 - crashed during a training exercise in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur. While one aircraft crashed in Morena in Madhya Pradesh, the other crashed and landed in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur.
#WATCH | Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashed near Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. The aircraft had taken off from Suratgarh. The pilot is safe. More details awaited: IAF Sources pic.twitter.com/0WOwoU5ASi
— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2023
Earlier last week an Indian Army chopper crashed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district. Another accident happened in Kochi in April when a Coast Guard helicopter during trials made a crash landing. This March in Mumbai a Navy chopper had "ditched" after performing VVIP duties.
In October last year, two incidents of army chopper crash were reported in Arunachal Pradesh. In October 5, 2022, a Cheetah helicopter crashed near the Tawang area of Arunachal Pradesh leading to the death of one Indian Army pilot.
A MiG-21 aircraft of the IAF crashed near Suratgarh during a routine training sortie today morning. The pilot ejected safely, sustaining minor injuries.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) May 8, 2023
An inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Just a fortnight later, five defence personnel were killed, who were on board in the Indian Army Aviation Advance Light Helicopter (Weapon Systems Integrated) - ALH WSI based at Likabali (Assam), which crashed near Siang village, 25 kilometres away from the Tuting headquarters in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal on October 21.
Earlier on July 28 last year, Defence Ministry informed that two pilots in a twin-seater Mig-21 trainer aircraft died after sustaining fatal injuries when it crashed near Barmer district of Rajasthan.
Courtesy: Zee News