MiG-21 fighter jet crashes in Punjab ; IAF’s pilot dead
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
An Indian Air Force pilot was killed in a MiG-21 fighter jet crash at Langeana Khurd village of Punjab’s Baghpurana ,Moga district in the wee hours of Friday, killing the pilot.
The pilot has been identified as IAF Squadron leader Abhinav Chaudhary and he was on night training when the accident happened. He was on a night air patrol flight. He was from Meerut. In his 20s, Abhinav had gotten married just over a year ago.
Moga police official said, “There is a training facility for fighter jet pilots at a village near Jagraon town in Ludhina district. Abhinav Choudhary came here for training from Suratgarh and was going back when the jet crashed.”
Soon after the accident, Moga district police along with IAF officials from Bathinda and Halwara airbase reached the spot. After an intense four-hour search, the body of the pilot was recovered nearly 2-km away from the crash site. However, there was no other loss of life. No house or other structure suffered any damage in the village, the police said.
The parachute was found open and SOS was also sent from his device but he had died by then. He tried to land safely using a parachute but apparently broke his neck and spinal cord.
Meanwhile Indian Air Force has initiated a court of inquiry about the accident.
May 21,2021
