Bhopal: A group captain of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was killed in an accident involving a Mig-21 Bison aircraft in Gwalior on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The pilot has been identified as Group Captain Ashis Gupta. The accident took place at around 10:50 am when the aircraft was taking off for a combat training mission, the officials said.
"A MiG-21 Bison aircraft of IAF was involved in a fatal accident this morning, while taking off for a combat training mission at an airbase in Central India," the IAF tweeted.
According to sources, the accident took place at Maharajpura airbase in Gwalior district. The sources said that a MiG-21 fighter jet caught fire while the pilot was taking off for a routine training mission.
Two fire brigades were sent but they apparently stood at the main gate of the airforce station. "The officers didn't use the tenders," the in-charge of the fire brigade told Millennium Post.
"The IAF lost Group Captain A Gupta in the tragic accident. IAF expresses deep condolences and stands firmly with the family members. A court of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident," the IAF tweeted.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed his condolences on the untimely demise and tweeted: "My deepest condolences on Group Captain Shri A Gupta's tragic, untimely demise. I pray to the almighty to bless the departed soul. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family."
The IAF has lost many Mig-21s and other aircraft in accidents in the last few years. In June 2019, the Ministry of Defence informed Parliament that 27 IAF aircraft have crashed since 2016.
In 2016-17, six IAF fighter jets, two helicopters, a transport aircraft and a trainer crashed. In 2017-18, the IAF lost two fighter jets and a trainer aircraft in crashes. The number rose in 2018-19, when the IAF lost seven fighter jets, two helicopters and two trainers.