Pilot dead as Indian Air Force's MiG-21 crashes in Rajasthan
World
Pilot Wing Commander Harshit Sinha dies in the incident.
NEW DELHI (Web Desk) - Indian Air Force s MiG-21 fighter jet crashed on Friday night in Rajasthan s Jaisalmer, killing the pilot Wing Commander Harshit Sinha.
The incident took place in Sudasiri village near the Indo-Pak border in the Desert National Park area under the Sam police station, Jaisalmer.
Confirming the news, the official handle of the Air Force tweeted, "This evening, around 8:30 pm, a MiG-21 aircraft of IAF met with a flying accident in the western sector during a training sortie. Further details are awaited. An inquiry is being ordered."
With deep sorrow, IAF conveys the sad demise of Wing Commander Harshit Sinha in the flying accident this evening and stands firmly with the family of the braveheart.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 24, 2021
The crash has once again turned the spotlight on India’s longest-serving fighter plane, its safety record and the IAF s plans to replace the ageing jets with newer ones in the coming years.
It is shocking to note that several MiG-21 crashes have been reported this year alone. The aircraft has been dubbed "flying coffin" as it makes news regularly for crashes. From 1971 to April 2012, as many as 482 MiG aircraft have met with accidents, killing 171 pilots, 39 civilians, eight service personnel, and one aircrew, the government had told Parliament in May 2012.
