Friday, March 9, 2007

It's falling from the sky!

Found these statistics:

Number of Mig-21 crashes between April 1992 and March 2002 --- 102
Number of Mig-21 crashes between Oct 1963 and August 2003 --- 315

Source: http://www.warbirdsofindia.com/Crashes/index.html

So we lost 315 of these aircraft in 40 years? Thats an average of around 8 aircraft per year! Lately the average has accelerated to 10 per year! Made me wonder how many were in service to begin with. As per this site:

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com

the total number is 910. The crash rate is there fore 35% of all aircraft that served in the IAF. Of these only 1, exactly 1 was lost in combat(as per the same site).

It isn't as if the term "flying coffin" was invented over night. Even in the parliament questions have been raised around these crashes:

"MIG accidents
†2327. DR. PRABHA THAKUR:
SHRIMATI PREMA
CARIAPPA:
Will the Minister of DEFENCE be
pleased to state:
(a) how many MIG-21 aircrafts have
met with accidents during the last three
years;
(b) what were the causes of these
accidents;
(c) whether any inquiry committee was
appointed to find out the various reasons
therefor; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?"

List of Questions for WRITTEN ANSWERS
to be asked at a sitting of the Rajya Sabha to be held on
Wednesday, the December 14, 2005/Agrahayana 23, 1927 (Saka)

Source: 164.100.24.167/dailyques/206/uq14122005.pdf

I was not able to find the defence minister's answer to this question on the web.

1 comment:

Just me again! said...

Hi,
Just wanted readers to know that a tribute to Swapnil has been posted at
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/photo591163.htm

It's a lovely picture, and a moving tribute - both by a colleague of ours from the 1992 batch.