No end to MiG-21 crashes

New Delhi: In yet another crash in IAF, a MiG-21 fighter jet went down near near Bagdogra in West Bengal minutes after take-off on Friday afternoon. The pilot, fortunately, managed to eject safely.
While the court of inquiry will establish the exact reason behind the crash, which comes soon after a MiG-27 pilot was killed after his fighter crashed near the Hashimara airbase on Tuesday, preliminary reports said `a technical snag' led to the accident on Friday.
"The pilot, Squadron Leader Rahul Tiwari, had taken off from Bagdogra airbase on the MiG-21 but within minutes, at about 3.40 pm, reported trouble in the aircraft and ejected,'' said an official.
Though some years ago there was a remarkable turnaround in IAF's high crash rate, which earlier saw over 700 crashes since 1970, killing around 180 pilots and scores of civilians on the ground, a spate of crashes has taken place in recent months.
The aging MiG variants, which constitute the bulk of India's combat fleet, have of course been the main culprits. The single-engined MiG-21s, in particular, have a horrifying track-record. Of the 793 MiG-21s inducted into IAF since 1963, over 340 have been lost in accidents.
20/02/10 Times of India

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Safety Feb 2010