An Indian Air Force pilot was killed on Tuesday morning when a MiG-21 fighter crashed soon after taking off from Naal airfield in Rajasthans Bikaner district. IAF officials said Flying Officer M S Pillai was on a routine sortie. The aircraft crashed following complications while landing,they said.
Rajasthan Defence PRO Col S D Goswami said the incident occurred at the Naal air base,about 15 km from Bikaner,at around 11.30 am. A court of enquiry has been constituted to look into the incident, he said.
Senior police officials in Bikaner said there were complications while landing and the aircraft was flying low when the pilot tried to eject,but suffered grievous injuries and succumbed to injuries at the base hospital.
This is the second crash of a MiG series fighter aircraft this year.
On February 4,an IAF MiG-21 Bison fighter plane had crashed,apparently due to an engine problem while on a routine sortie in Madhya Pradeshs Sheopur district,but the pilot had ejected safely.
In 2010,10 IAF aircraft crashes took place,including four MiG-27 and two MiG-21 planes.