28.5.14

MiG-21 crashes in Kashmir

The pilot of a fighter aircraft died on the spot when it crashed in an open field at Simthan near Bijbehara in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. According to sources, the aircraft was on a routine flight. The lone pilot on board was identified as squadron leader Raghu Bansi.
The aircraft, MiG 21 Bison of Indian Air Force, has been notorious for mishaps and has earned nicknames such as “flying coffin“ and “widow-maker“.
Defence official issued a statement saying, “The pilot, airborne from Srinagar, was on a routine training sortie. A court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate into the cause of the accident.“
“The pilot's body was recovered from the crash site and was later airlifted to IAF field station. Teams of army, IAF and state police have reached the site. The IAF personnel are removing the aircraft debris,“ the IAF said in a press release.
Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said a police team and the security forces had cordoned off the area within minutes of the crash. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said he was “sorry“ and that it was “a matter of grave concern“. “My heart goes out to the pilot who lost his life,“ he said .J&K CM Omar Abdullah tweeted, “My condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the pilot. The new government needs to sort out defence procurement issues for Navy, Air Force and the Army ASAP.“

No comments: