"Lowest Accident Rate Ever," Says Air Marshal

The venerable Russian-designed MiG-21 is the bulwark of the Indian Air Force fighter force -- fully 50% of the force's combat aircraft, and it racks up about 50% of the hours. And it's had a dreadful safety record, earning it such unappealing sobriquets in the bumptious Indian press as "Widowmaker," and "Flying Coffin." But now Indian officers say that they've put the MiG's safety problems behind them -- and they have the numbers to back that claim up.

The accident rate of the MiG-21 in Indian service has come down 56% in ten years. It's currently at 0.6 accidents per 10,000 flying hours, which compares to other types in Indian service. It's also a lot better than the worst year the type had in India, where it had 2.89 accidents per 10,000 hours.

India operates several versions of the Mach 2.1 multirole fighter, with most of the Indian aircraft having been assembled or completely manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in India. The tailed-delta jet has a number of handling peculiarities that stem from its 1950s aerodynamics.

The number of accidents continues a declining trend. There were three MiG-21 accidents last fiscal year, and only two this year, so far. Air Marshal P S Ahluwalia revealed these numbers to the press in Delhi on Tuesday.

"The accident rate of the MiG-21 has been brought down from a high of 2.89 (per 10,000 flying hours) to 0.6 or even lower presently - its lowest accident rate ever," Air Marshal P S Ahluwalia, Director General of Flight Inspection & Safety for the IAF, said at a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday.

One of this year's mishaps was caused by a bird strike at Bangalore. "Despite our best efforts to reduce their presence or avoid them, birds are still found flying around," Ahluwalia said. "it is natural. They have a better claim to air."

In the big picture, Ahluwalia said that flight safety was up across the Air Force, which he credited to professionalism, not luck.

"We identified the problems in the critical areas and addressed them," he added.

FMI: www.indianairforce.nic.in