A pilot of the India Air Force (IAF) died after his MiG-21 fighter jet crashed at Langeana village of Moga district in Punjab late on Thursday. The fighter jet was on its way back to Suratgarh after a routine training at the time of the accident.
The deceased pilot has been identified as Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary. The jet crashed around 9.30pm and it took more than 3 hours to locate Choudhary’s body in the fields, said police.
Gurdeep Singh, SP (headquarter) of Moga 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.”
“We received information [about the crash] around 11.30pm and immediately reached the spot and started search operation for the pilot. We eventually found his body around 3am, Friday. It seems that he jumped with a parachute and broke his neck while landing,” said the SP.
{{/usCountry}}“We received information [about the crash] around 11.30pm and immediately reached the spot and started search operation for the pilot. We eventually found his body around 3am, Friday. It seems that he jumped with a parachute and broke his neck while landing,” said the SP.
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He added that senior air force officials, who were part of the search operation as well, took the pilot’s body to Halwara Air Force station for a post-mortem.
IAF tweetd about the crash. “There was an aircraft accident last night involving a Bison aircraft of IAF in the western sector. The pilot, Sqn Ldr Abhinav Choudhary, sustained fatal injuries...IAF condoles the tragic loss and stands firmly with the bereaved family,” it said.
The IAF added, “A Court of Inquiry (COI) has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident involving a Bison aircraft of IAF in the western sector.”