IAF MiG-21 fighter jet crashes in Jaisalmer, pilot dead

An Indian Air Force fighter plane crashed in Jaisalmer late on December 24, a senior police officer said. Wing Commander Harshit Sinha was killed in the crash, the IAF has confirmed.

The pilot, Wing Commander Harshit Sinha, could reportedly not eject safely; his body has been recovered.

The plane crashed in the Desert National Park area in Sudasiri village under the Sam police station, which is close to the India-Pakistan border, Jaisalmer SP Ajay Singh told news agency PTI.

The IAF confirmed the news on social media and said in a tweet: "This evening, 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 MiG-21 has been dubbed the “flying coffin” and several Migs have crashed this year alone. The December 24 MiG-21 crash is reportedly the fifth one to crash in 2021.