IAF MiG-21 crashes near Chandigarh

IAF MiG-21 crashes near Chandigarh
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Chandigarh, December 3: A MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed in a village in Patiala district this afternoon, injuring the pilot, who managed to bale out just before the aircraft went down.

The incident occurred in Zikarpur village when the jet, piloted by flying officer Pankaj Joshi apparently developed a technical snag soon after take off from the IAF base here, forcing the officer to eject.

A major, who was passing the area picked up Joshi even as a civilian was preparing to take him to hospital, and took him to the western command hospital at Chandimandir near here. The cause of the accident is not known, the sources said, adding the pilot had not made any contact with the air traffic before baling out.