Three women were killed after the MiG-21 Bison fighter jet crashed into a house in Hanumangarh, with the accident again putting the spotlight on the troubling safety record of India's longest-serving fighter plane.
"The MiG-21 Bisons are currently not flying as the fleet is undergoing comprehensive safety checks after the May 8 crash. The fighters will resume flying in a phased manner after these checks and the completion of the inquiry into the latest crash," said one of the officials cited above, who asked not to be named.
On May 8, the pilot faced an onboard emergency shortly after taking off from the Suratgarh air force station and attempted to recover the aircraft but failed to do so. It was on an operational training sortie. The aircraft wreckage fell on a house at Bahlol Nagar in Hanumangarh. The pilot ejected safely and was recovered about 25 km north-east of the Suratgarh base.
It is not uncommon for an aircraft fleet to be grounded for inspection after an unexplained crash or incident. But the MiGs have been a cause of concern for some time now. More than 400 MiG-21s have been involved in accidents that have claimed the lives of 200 pilots during the last six decades.
This story is from the May 21, 2023 edition of Hindustan Times.
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This story is from the May 21, 2023 edition of Hindustan Times.
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