Pilot killed after MiG-21 crashes in Himachal Pradesh

A MiG 21 fighter jet crashed in a village in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh today, police said. Picture courtesy ANI

An Indian Air Force pilot died on Wednesday when his MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashed in Himachal Pradesh.

The aircraft took off from the Air Force Station in Pathankot, Punjab on a routine sortie around 1220 pm and crashed an hour later in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.

“The pilot sustained fatal injuries during the accident,” an IAF spokesperson said.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to establish the cause of the accident.

MiG-21s are some of the oldest aircraft being flown by the IAF. As many as 14 squadrons of MiG 21, MiG 27 and MiG 29 are due for de-induction in the next 10 years.