Indian Air Force pilot killed in another MiG-21 Bison aircraft crash

 

• MiG-21 Bison plane crashes during takeoff, IAF says.

• The IAF plane was on a combat training mission when it crashed.

• A "court of inquiry" was ordered to determine the cause of the accident, IAF says.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot died on Wednesday after his MiG-21 Bison fighter jet crashed in central India.

According to an IAF tweet, the plane crashed during takeoff while the plane was on a combat training mission.

"An IAF MiG-21 Bison aircraft was involved in a fatal accident this morning while taking off for a combat training mission at an airbase in central India," the IAF tweet reads.

In another tweet, he revealed the identity of the captain, adding that an "Investigating Court" was ordered to determine the cause of the accident.

India has long been criticized for its fleet of outdated MiG-21 Bison jets. IAF chief BS Dhanoa said two years ago that the IAF was operating 44-year-old MiG-21 Bison fighter jets when people weren't even driving such old cars.

All over the world, the MiG-21 is hardly used anymore. According to some reports, the MiG-21 currently serves in only 18 air forces worldwide, which include the two NATO members (Romania and Croatia).