Two pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed on Thursday night when their twin-seater Mig-21 trainer aircraft crashed during a training sortie near Barmer in Rajasthan. The IAF said the aircraft was on a sortie from Utarlai air base and the accident took place at around 9:10 pm in which both the pilots lost their lives. The accident once again put the spotlight on the IAF’s ageing fleet of Soviet-origin Mig-21 aircraft which were involved in around 200 accidents since their first induction in the early 1960s.
“A twin seater Mig-21 trainer aircraft of the IAF was airborne for a training sortie from Utarlai air base in Rajasthan this evening,” the IAF said in a statement. “Around 9:10 pm, the aircraft met with an accident near Barmer. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries. The IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families,” it said.