November 21, 2001

RAJYA SABHA

'33'

MIG CRASH NEAR SURATGARH AND PATHANKOT

A MIG-21 aircraft crashed on 17th September, 2001 at Suratgarh and the Captain of the aircraft Flt Lt A.A.Gadgil was fatally injured. A Court of Inquiry is in progress to investigate the cause of the accident. Another MIG-21 crashed on 26th September 2001 at Pathankot due to engine failure in the air and the pilot ejected safely. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the accident. As per the figures available for the last four years, about 64 MiG series aircraft have been lost. Of these, 30 have been lost due to human error (air crew) and one lost due to human error (surface). Five of them have been lost due to bird hits, 21 due to technical defect and three cases are unresolved.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri George Fernandes in a written reply to Shri C.M. Ibrahim and Dr. Karan Singh in Rajya Sabha today.