Aerospace Diary

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  APRIL 19, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS India’s contract with Pilatus for 75 PC-7 Mk II basic trainers is the first to include post-delivery maintenance. (Photo: Vladimir Karnozov) April 19, 2013, 12:55 PM The Indian Air Force ( IAF ) recorded its lowest accident rate in 36 years in the year ending March 31. The introduction of upgraded Western aircraft; quality audits of maintenance practices; increased use of simulators; and voluntary reporting of unsafe acts have contributed to the improved record, a senior official said at a recent media briefing. Of the five aircraft that crashed in the last 12 months, three of the losses were attributed to equipment malfunctions: a bomb fuse misfired on an Su-30; a fan blade failed in the recently overhauled engine of a MiG-27; and a MiG-21 suffered a pump failure. Human error caused the crash of a Jaguar fighter and a Chetak (Alouette  III ) helic...

Neelam Mathews Sept 6, 2011 The Indian Air Force has lost the third aircraft of the MiG series this year with a MiG-21 Bison crashing about 10 km from the Ambala airbase. The pilot Flt Lt A. Ghosh, on a routine training sortie, ejected safely, says a release. There was no other casualty as the aircraft fell in an open field close to the busy national highway No.1 between Delhi and Amritsar . The crash site is about 50 km from state capital Chandigarh. The pilot was rescued by IAF Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter and taken for medical examination. The cause of accident is being ascertained, and a Court of Inquiry has been ordered to carry out detailed investigation into the cause of accident. Of the 793 MiG-21s inducted into IAF since 1963, over 340 have been lost in accidents. The last three years saw around 42 accidents, in which the IAF lost 17 pilots. India plans to retire the over 100 MiG-21s presently in its fleet by 2017.

Neelam Mathews August 2, 2011 An IAF Mig-21 aircraft crashed in the precincts of Nal airbase in Rajasthan at around midday, today. The aircraft was returning from a routine training mission and crashed during the landing phase, killing the pilot. This is the second crash of a fighter aircraft this year. In February, a MiG-21 crashed on a routine sortie in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district though the pilot had ejected safely. In 2010, 10 IAF aircraft crashes took place including four MiG-27s and two MiG-21s. In parliament defense minister A K Antony had said 24 fighter aircraft accidents took place in the last three years, in which four service personnel and five civilians lost their lives. Of these accidents, 23 percent were due to human error, he said.  Aerospace Diary is working on a report relating to aircraft crashes in India. Meanwhile a defense official says many countries like China do not officially report accidents.

Jun 15, 2010 By Neelam Mathews mathews.neelam@gmail.com New Delhi The Indian Air Force’s safety woes continued June 15 with the crash of a MiG-21, marking the third loss of a combat fighter this year. The MiG-21 (Type 96) was flying near Pathankot when it crashed around 11.25 a.m. Indian Standard Time due to what air force officials believe was a hydraulic failure. The IAF also lost a MiG-27 and MiG-21 in February. The MiG-27 crash briefly led to the grounding of that fleet. The IAF says the pilot ejected safely and no ground property was damaged. Last year the IAF suffered 11 crashes, including five MiG-21s. More broadly, the IAF has suffered a wave of MiG-21 crashes and other losses. During the past three years, 21 Mikoyan-built fighters have been lost by the service, killing four service personnel. Sixty one aircraft and helicopters of various types have crashed in the last four years, and 28 pilots have died. Of these, 48.3% of the IAF accidents were blamed on technica...

Aerospace Daily June 16, 2010 OPERATIONS NEW DELHI — The Indian air force’s safety woes continued June 15 with the crash of a MiG-21, marking the third loss of a combat fighter this year. The MiG-21 (Type 96) was flying near Pathankot when it crashed at around 11.25 a.m. Indian Standard Time due to what air force officials believe was a hydraulic failure. The IAF also lost a MiG-27 and MiG-21 in February. The MiG-27 crash briefly led to the grounding of that fleet. The IAF says the pilot ejected safely and no ground property was damaged. Last year, the IAF suffered 11 crashes, including five MiG-21s. More broadly, the IAF has suffered a wave of MiG-21 crashes and other losses. During the past three years, 21 Mikoyan-built fighters have been lost by the service, killing four personnel. Sixty-one aircraft and helicopters of various types have crashed in the last four years, and 28 pilots have died. Of these, 48.3% of the IAF accidents were blamed on technical defects, 37.9%...

Aerospace Daily and Defense Report March 11, 2010 NEW DELHI — The prototype of the naval variant of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) being built for India’s aircraft carrier has lagged behind schedule due to various development requirements, Defense Minister A.K. Antony said in parliament March 10. Antony said deficiencies had been detected in the airframe and other associated equipment of the aircraft. The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is working out strategies with various organizations for rectifying these deficiencies through suitable modifications to the engine/airframe design, he added. In 1984, the government formed the Aeronautical Development Agency under DRDO to develop the LCA in conjunction with government defense manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. The engine is being developed by the Gas and Turbine Research Establishment. Answering another query regarding a MiG-21 crash in West Bengal on Feb. 19, Antony said in the past six months six figh...