India lost yet another Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, Wing Commander Harshit Sinha in the flying incident of the fighter Jet MiG-21 that crashed near Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer on December 24.
This comes merely weeks after a similar IAF Chopper crashed in Tamil Nadu that led to the demise of Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and 13 others.
“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,” read a tweet by the Indian Air Force.
The Indian Air Force had said in a statement earlier “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 government informed the Rajya Sabha on December 20 that in the last two years, seven aircraft of the Indian Air Force have crashed. While a number of MiG-21 planes referred to as ‘flying coffins’ have crashed this year.
Expressing grief over the demise of Wing Commander Sinha, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot also took to Twitter – “Saddened to know Wing Commander Harshit Sinha lost his life, when a MiG-21 aircraft met with a flying accident in the western sector during a training sortie. My heartfelt condolences to his family members. We share their grief and pray they find strength.”
