The Hindu : MiG crashes in Rajasthan, pilot killed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 05, 2003

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MiG crashes in Rajasthan, pilot killed

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JUNE 4 . Another MiG fighter of the Indian Air Force crashed this morning shortly after take-off from the Uttarlai air base in Rajasthan killing the pilot. The crash occurred at a time when a team from its original manufacturer is studying the facilities at the HAL-owned factory at Nasik.

IAF sources here said the fighter caught fire shortly after take-off and plunged into a nearby field killing the pilot, A.S. Jamwal. This is the sixth military aircraft to crash this year. Contrary to the general impression, it is the first MiG-21 of Type 75 to crash this year. The other planes that went down this year included a Jaguar, a Chetak helicopter and a MiG-23.

Last year, 25 fighter crashes were reported. Of them 12 were MiG-21 variants. These variants account for almost half of the total fighter fleet and undertake the maximum number of sorties every month.

Doubts over airworthiness

PTI reports:

Today's crash has raised new doubts over the airworthiness of the Indian Air Force's mainstay, MiG fleet.

An IAF spokesman said the aircraft, which was attempting a low level flying manoeuvre, apparently went out of control and crashed.

A number of Parliamentary Committees have demanded phasing out of the aircraft in view of the high rate of accidents. They had also demanded that the Government take quick decisions on the long-pending induction of Advanced Jet Trainers into the IAF.

Air Force officials said the aircraft which crashed this morning was among the earliest MiG-21s inducted into the IAF. These fighter variants are gradually being phased out.

Though the country is in the process of upgrading its MiG-21 fleet, one of the upgraded versions, christened MiG-21 Bison, which uses the same R-25 engine, crashed last year.

Since 1998, 56 MiG aircraft have crashed and 32 pilots have been killed. The crashes have also resulted in the death of 30 civilians on the ground.

According to official figures, 23 of the crashes were due to pilot error and 20 due to technical defects.

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