Group Captain A Gupta Died in MiG 21 Bison Aircraft Crash Near Gwalior, Central India Airbase
On 17 March 2021, IAF’s MiG 21 Bison aircraft crashed this morning while taking off for a combat training mission at an airbase in central India. The IAF lost Group Captain A. Gupta in this tragic accident. A Court of inquiry has now been ordered to determine the cause of this accident right here.
Sad news this morning, Group Captain A. Gupta was the pilot of this MiG 21 bison that crashed shortly after takeoff in central India. We understand it was somewhere near Gwalior where the aircraft crashed this morning. A Court of inquiry has gone into the details but this was a combat training mission, standard the standard flying missions that take place with every fighter squadron. Group Captain A Gupta was a test pilot. He was from the tactic school that the Indian Air Force has in Gwalior.
He had recently been assigned to take over as commanding officer of this MiG 21 Squadron in central India. The details of what happened to this aircraft are not known just yet, but the MiG 21 has had a troubled past. There have been several crashes, including fatalities. In the many years that this aircraft has been in service.
The MiG 21 continues to be in service in pretty large numbers with the Indian Air Force over 100 aircraft continue to fly with frontline squadrons. We saw the MiG 21 participate in the post-2019 Balakot airstrike over the line of control as well.
Group Captain A Gupta is the equivalent of a colonel in the army. But, the precise details of what happened in this aircraft are not known just yet. Suffice it to say that Group Captain A Gupta was a highly qualified pilot, he was a test pilot, and to become a commanding officer of a unit, you’ve got to be an amazing aviator, which he was. So, you know, there couldn’t have been anything wrong there.
There must have been some kind of aircraft trouble. This is already an aircraft that has had trouble in the past. It’s an aging platform. It’s been very controversial as well. Thanks to the number of deaths that have happened owing to this aircraft.
So we’re still awaiting details but a very, very tragic day. A Group Captain, a commanding officer in the Indian Air Force ‘A Gupta’ has lost his life in a crash.
