Fighter jet crashes in northwestern India, killing the pilot

Fighter jet crashes in northwestern India, killing the pilot

2011-08-02 22:15:18 GMT+7 (ICT)

BIKANER, INDIA (BNO NEWS) -- An Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was killed on Tuesday when his fighter jet crashed in northwestern India, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

The accident happened soon after the MiG-21 fighter aircraft took off from Naal airfield in Bikaner district of Rajasthan state. The airfield is located about 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from Bikaner city, the capital of the district.

Defence spokesperson S D Goswami told PTI that the aircraft was on a routine sortie when it crashed near the airfield, killing the pilot. "The pilot ejected but died due to injuries sustained by him," Goswami said.

Tuesday's accident is the second crash of a MiG series fighter aircraft this year. In February, an IAF MiG-21 'Bison' crashed in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district in central India, apparently due to an engine problem. The pilot ejected safely.

In November 2010, twelve people were killed when an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter crashed in the northwestern region of the country.

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