An Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter aircraft has crashed near Hanumangarh, Rajasthan during its routine morning sortie on May 8, 2023. The aircraft had taken off from the Suratgarh Air Force Station of the Sri Ganganagar District in Rajasthan. While the pilot walked out of the incident safely, death of three civilians has been confirmed by the local police as the plane crash-landed on a house. According to sources, the pilot is safe and a military helicopter has reached the accident site for rescue. Two women and 1 man were killed, all from the same housing complex, said the local police.
The Indian Air Force has ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident. The MiG-21 fleet is on its last leg and all the remaining three aircraft from the fleet are planned to be poached out by 2025, stated ANI. Earlier in January 2023, 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.
A MiG-21 aircraft of the IAF crashed near Suratgarh during a routine training sortie today morning. The pilot ejected safely, sustaining minor injuries.
An inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) May 8, 2023
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.
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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.
Also read – Indian Defence Forces Ground ALH Dhruv Helicopter In View Of Recent Crashes
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.
