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MiG-21 crashes in Delhi, pilot killed

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

A young Indian Air Force pilot was killed Saturday when his MiG-21 fighter jet, which was brought to Delhi for a recent exhibition to mark the anniversary of victory in Kargil, crashed during take off and fell in pieces by the 3-wing runway, which is specially reserved for VVIPs.

There couldn't have been a worse reminder of the state of affairs in the Indian Air Force, whose air safety record is among the worst in the world. In the past three years, it has lost almost 60 aircraft, a majority of them being the 1960s vintage MiG-21s from Russia.

According to air force sources, Flight Lieutenant S Shukla taxied on Palam technical area's runway a couple of minutes after 13.00 hours. He was to take the fighter back to the 21 Squadron at Ambala.

Within seconds of the take off, the fighter nose-dived into the grass by the runway. Flt Lt Shukla couldn't attain the required height probably because of engine failure.

He died on the spot and his body was moved to the Base Hospital in Delhi Cantonment.

Ironically, the ill-fated MiG-21 was exhibited at the lawns of India Gate as part of the massive exhibition to mark one year of Operation Vijay.

IAF sources refused to comment.

First manufactured in 1959, the MiG-21 is a single-seat multi-role fighter, which can fly a maximum range of 1,100 kilometers.

Air force officials say the high rate of accidents is due to the lack of advance jet trainers, inadequate maintenance and inefficient technical upgradation of the fighters. A massive project to upgrade the avionics and technical capabilities of MiG-21s is yet to take off. Upgradation of two prototypes have been completed in Russia, but the improvements are yet to be carried out here. According to the contract, the rest of the MiG-21s are to be upgraded in India, at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Most of the MiG-21s are flown by young pilots just out of Air Force Academy.

In the last one decade, the IAF has lost over 85 pilots in air crashes, which sources admit is one of the worst records anywhere in the world.

Almost two decades back, an expert committee had recommended that the government buy AJTs to train pilots on transition from vintage Kiran aircraft to fighters like MiGs. Though the government accepted the recommendation, and after several foreign visits by bureaucrats, politicians and other delegations, the AJTs are nowhere in sight.

The criminal negligence continues, as politicians continue to bargain and debate the price to be paid for the AJTs. There have been reports recently that the IAF has decided to buy AJTs from Britian.

AJTs, highly sophisticated jets on which pilots can be trained in stage III, are a must with every modern air force.

A report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence last year had pointed out the immediate need for an AJT, while pulling up the government for delaying the purchase.

Another reason behind the crash could be bad upkeep of the fighters. IAF is not completely satisfied with the HAL, as it is an external agency over "which we have little control."

Another reason could be a bird hit, because of which in 1996, the IAF withdrew its fighter squadron from Hindon, near Delhi. The IAF had identified 10 of its airfields as very prone to bird hits.

The last independent audit of IAF's flight safety, conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in 1997, examined the nature of 187 accidents and 2729 incidents involving the IAF aircraft between April 1991 and March 1997. It pointed out that though the "overall accidents per 10,000 flying hours registered a decline, the accident rate of fighter aircraft, particulary MiG-21 variants continue to be high". IAF lost 147 aircraft and 63 pilots during 1991-97.

The report said, "The training equipment viz flight simulators, computer-based training equipment and other modern training aids are either not operational or have not been acquired. The execution measures for minimising the bird menace in and around airfields is also languishing."

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