Representational image of a MiG-21 aircraft.
A MiG-21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed Friday evening near Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, killing the pilot Wing Commander Harshit Sinha.
Confirming the news, the official handle of the Air Force tweeted, "This evening (Friday), around 8:30 pm, a MiG-21 aircraft of IAF met with a flying accident in the western sector during a training sortie. Further details are awaited. An inquiry is being ordered."
The aircraft crashed in the Desert National Park area under the Sam police station, Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh told news agency PTI. The SP said local police reached the spot and he is also on the way to the crash site.
The Air Force tweeted confirming the death of the pilot. "With deep sorrow, IAF conveys the sad demise of Wing Commander Harshit Sinha in the flying accident this evening and stands firmly with the family of the braveheart," the tweet said.
Several MiG-21 crashes have been reported this year alone. The aircraft has been dubbed "flying coffin" as it makes news regularly for crashes. From 1971 to April 2012, as many as 482 MiG aircraft have met with accidents, killing 171 pilots, 39 civilians, eight service personnel, and one aircrew, the government had told Parliament in May 2012. "The causes of accidents were both human error and technical defects," the government had said.