NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MAR 17
A group captain of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was killed in an accident involving a MiG-21 Bison aircraft in Gwalior on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The pilot has been identified as Group Captain A Gupta. The accident took place at around 10:50 am, when the aircraft was taking off for a combat training mission, the officials said.
The air headquarters has ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the crash.
“A MiG-21 Bison aircraft of IAF was involved in a fatal accident this morning while taking off for a combat training mission at an airbase in central India,” the IAF said in a tweet.
“The IAF lost Group Captain A Gupta in the tragic accident. IAF expresses deep condolences and stands firmly with the family members. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident,” it added.
The Soviet-origin MiG-21 Bison is an upgraded version of the MiG-21 aircraft that the IAF began inducting in the 1960s.
The MiG-21 Bison is capable of carrying beyond-visual-range missiles and other potent weapons.
On February 27, 2019, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman flew a MiG-21 Bison and shot down an F-16 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force, before his aircraft went down in a dogfight. He was captured by the Pakistan Army and released two days later.
The IAF has lost many MiG-21s and other aircraft in accidents in the last few years.
In June 2019, the Ministry of Defence informed Parliament that 27 IAF aircraft have crashed since 2016.
In 2016-17, six IAF fighter jets, two helicopters, a transport aircraft, and a trainer crashed.
In 2017-18, the IAF lost two fighter jets and a trainer aircraft in crashes.
The number rose in 2018-19 when the IAF lost seven fighter jets, two helicopters, and two trainers.
At present, the IAF has around six squadrons of MiG-21 Bisons. A squadron comprises around 18 aircraft.
