MiG crashes, pilot safe

However,  there was no casualty as the pilot managed to eject safely.  The plane was on routine sortie when it crashed near the airfield.

The reason behind the crash is not known but a team of  the Indian Air force (IAF) reached the crash site and is investigating the matter.

This is the second MiG crash in a span of two months in Rajasthan. A MiG aircraft had crashed in Rajasthan Naal airstrip in Bikaneer killing pilot M S Pillai on August 2.

According to officials, the plane was on a routine sortie and the incident occurred around 11:30 am when the pilot was preparing to land. The pilot, flying officer Amit Sethi, ejected safely, Defence PRO at Jodhpur S D Goswami said.

A court of inquiry has been ordered, he said. This is the sixth air crash involving IAF’s fighter aircraft this year and the fifth belonging to the  MiG-21 series warplane. In view of the increasing number of accidents involving the MiG-21 aircraft type, the IAF has decided to phase them out by 2017.

The force is also planning to allow only experienced fighter pilots to fly the plane from next year. Of the total 976 MiG-21s inducted in the service since 1960s, over half of them have been lost in air crashes.