MiG-21 crashes, pilot safe

A MiG-21 aircraft belonging to the Indian Air Force on Friday crashed in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, with the pilot ejecting safely. 

The plane crashed near Sodiyar village at 9 am and the pilot ejected safely, Defence spokesperson S D Goswami said. 

He said the aircraft took off from the Uttarlai Airbase in the western sector and was on a routine sortie. 

It crashed 40 km off Barmer, he said. 

A rescue mission was immediately launched from Jodhpur airbase, he said. 

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered by the Air Force to ascertain the cause of the crash.