Hanumangarh (Rajasthan): A MiG-21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed on a house in the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan on Monday, leaving three women dead and as many others injured on the ground, officials said. The pilot ejected safely, sustaining minor injuries in the crash that took place at around 9:45 am, the IAF said.
The plane was on a routine training sortie from the Air Force Station at Suratgarh in Ganganagar district, which is close to Hanumangarh. Recounting the incident, a local said he heard a loud sound and saw a parachute coming down. Within seconds, a plane crashed into the house of Ratti Ram, killing his wife and two other women - Leela Devi and Banto Kaur, the news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
In a statement, the IAF said, "The aircraft had got airborne for a routine operational training sortie from the Air Force Station at Suratgarh. Soon thereafter, the pilot experienced an onboard emergency, following which he attempted to recover the aircraft as per existing procedures. Having failed to do so, he initiated an ejection, sustaining minor injuries in the process. The pilot was recovered from about 25 kilometres North East of Suratgarh base."
The aircraft wreckage fell on a house in Bahlol Nagar in Hanumangarh District, unfortunately leading to the loss of three lives, it further stated adding that a Court of Inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.
"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," the IAF tweeted.
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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 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
An inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.
">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.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.
Earlier in January, a Sukhoi Su-30 and a Mirage 2000, two Indian Air Force fighter jets crashed during a training exercise in Rajasthan's Bharatpur leading to the death of one pilot. While one aircraft crashed in Morena in Madhya Pradesh, the other crashed and landed in Rajasthan's Bharatpur.
Last week, an Indian Army chopper crashed in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. In April, a Coast Guard helicopter during trials made a crash landing in Kochi. In March, a Navy chopper had "ditched" after performing VVIP duties in Mumbai. In October last year, two incidents of army chopper crash were reported in Arunachal Pradesh.
On October 5, 2022, a Cheetah helicopter crashed near the Tawang area of Arunachal Pradesh leading to the death of one Indian Army pilot. 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. (With Agency inputs)
