NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 12: A day after Union Defence Minister George Fernandes assured Parliament that steps were being taken to prevent air crashes, another MiG 21 fighter aircraft crashed near Chandigarh.Total crashes this year: 27. Number of crashes in 1998: 18.Air Force sources say that 12 of the 27 aircraft are MiG 21 variants. The young pilot, Flying Officer Pankaj Joshi who came back alive after bombing enemy held locations in Kargil was killed in this ``routine sortie,'' piloting what even the Air Force calls a ``flying coffin.'' The MiG 21 fighter jets which held an undisputed sway over the skies in the 1960s and '70s have been giving major problem in the 90s. Not only because they have outlived their life span but also due to poor serviceability, spares availability and flying on life extensions.The aircraft of the 1960s vintage have been upgraded and have reached their optimum, according to sources in Vayu Bhavan.``However paucity of funds have forced the Air Force to go in for anotherupgrade. Around 125 MiG-21 Biz are being further upgraded,'' sources said.``The MiG 21 aircraft are the backbone of Indian Air Force (IAF). The problem is that the backbone is now getting bent. In some cases even the undercarriage and the airframe have developed structural weaknesses,'' said an official. ``Only those aircraft with certified airframe life are going in for upgrade. The money is limited. The upgradation project is Rs 1,200 crore and in this price we cannot buy as many new aircraft,'' lamented another officer. ``The problem in most cases is in the engine and we are trying to sort it out with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL),'' he added.The MiG crashes have been plaguing the Air Force for a long time. In fact in 1997 following a series of crashes, a committee was set up under the chairmanship of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The committee constituted in February 1997 submitted its report by September 1997. ``The report was classified but the problem is that even till date all recommendations ofthe committee have not been fulfiled,'' said an official.The IAF blames the straight jump from trainer jet Kiran mark II to MiG 21s as an important cause of the crashes. ``See the profile of pilots being killed. Most are young and relatively inexperienced. Compared to Kiran mark II trainer jets, the power of MiG 21 is much more and they have trouble handling it. The Chief of Air Staff A.Y. Tipnis has been pressuring for the early purchase of an advanced jet trainer. But an AJT will not be the end of all the problems. We have to start replacing the MiG 21s with more advanced aircraft,'' an official in flight safety said.``MiG has been upgraded so many times that it has reached its optimum. We are using them for air defence, early warning, ground attack and trainer role. The MiG 21 Biz is the latest in the series. By and large problems have been due to technical faults and pilot errors come second,'' he added.A major problem MiG-21 is the paucity of spares. ``Original spares are a problem and we have tomake do with reconditioned, overhauled and even third-hand spares. Substandard material results in more accidents,'' said another official.
