MiG-21 on training sortie crashes in Moga, pilot dies

Tribune News Service
Faridkot, May 21

An Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft crashed into the fields near Langeana Kalan village, 24 km from Moga district headquarters, around 11.30 pm on Thursday, killing pilot Sqn Ldr Abhinav Choudhary.

The aircraft was on a routine training sortie when the mishap took place. The pilot was returning to Suratgarh in Rajasthan after a training sortie near Jagraon in Ludhiana when it crashed into the fields, said Gurdeep Singh, SP (H), Moga.

Cops find Body 2 km from site

• Sqn Ldr Choudhary was on training sortie from Suratgarh, Rajasthan
• His body was found around 2 km from the crash scene, said the SP
• The parachute was found open and an SOS was apparently sent from his device

It was raining in the area when the police got information about the incident around 11.30 pm. The police rushed to the scene and started a search for the pilot. The pilot’s body was found around 2 km from the crash scene, said the SP.

The parachute was found open and an SOS was apparently sent from his device. The apparent cause of the death was breaking of neck and grievous spinal injury, said the SP.

Senior officers of the Air Force from Halwara and Bathinda along with medical teams reached the spot in the morning. There was no other loss of property or human lives in the area due to the crash, said the SP.

A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the crash, sources said.

Residents of Langeana and other adjoining villages rushed to the scene soon after the crash. “Around 11.30 pm, we heard a loud thud and there were flames in the fields,” said Gurpreet Singh, a resident.

“We initially thought an explosion in the power transformer had set wheat stubble on fire. But once the police force arrived, we realised it was a jet crash,” said Sukhchain Singh, a farmer.

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