Gwalior, September 25: MIG-21 trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior on Monday. Both the pilots, including a Group Captain and a Squadron Leader, managed to eject safely. The incident took place at 10 am. No civilian was injured as the aircraft crashed in the open fields. The IAF confirmed the reports. The aircraft crashed minutes after it took off. Mig-21 Versus F-16: How Did An Ageing Jet Down One of the World’s Top Aircraft.

According to reports, the aircraft was on a routine training mission when the tragic incident took place. A court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident. More stills are still awaited. MiG-21 Fighter Jet of IAF Crashes In Kangra Of Himachal Pradesh, Pilot Dead.

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Earlier in March also, MiG-21 aircraft on a routine mission crashed after taking off from Nal near Bikaner. The pilot ejected safely. He was immediately rushed to a hospital. A court of inquiry was also ordered in the crash. Mig-21 is considered to be the most accident prone aircraft, because of this, it is also known as "flying coffin".

Mig-21 is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the erstwhile Soviet Union. Currently, there are over 100 Mig-21s serving in the IAF. In August this year, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa had said that  the basic version of the Russian fighter jet would be phased out this year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2019 11:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).