An Indian Air Force Mig-21 fighter aircraft crashed near Suratgarh in Rajasthan during a training sortie early today, leaving two civilians dead. The pilot, however, ejected to safety sustaining minor injuries, said IAF officials.
A court of inquiry has been instituted to know the exact cause of the Mig-21 accident. Reports coming from Rajasthan stated that two women died and another person sustained injuries in the accident. An IAF chopper had rushed to the spot for rescue operations.
In January, a pilot had died due to mid-air collision of a Sukhoi-30 and Mirage 2000 at Morena in Madhya Pradesh after the two took off for a training exercise.
The aging aircraft crash comes days after an indigenously-made Advanced Light Helicopter of Army Aviation Corps crash landed in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, leaving one technician dead but two co-pilots survived with injuries. The Army has since then grounded its ALH fleet, which was for the second time since twin March accident involving the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) manufactured copters.