M A I N   N E W S

Alert pilot diverts MiG before crash, saves township
* Mishap near Ludhiana
* 3rd MiG crash this year
* IAF orders probe
Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service

Raikot (Ludhiana), June 15
A major tragedy was averted when an alert pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) tilted a crashing jet fighter MiG-21 towards fields saving lives and property before ejecting safely here on Tuesday.

The incident took place at 11.15 am. The pilot, Wing Commander Sandeep Singh, posted at the Pathankot Air Base, was on a routine sortie and was to reach SK Firing Range in Sidhwan Bet near here.

“The pilot faced some technical difficulty while flying and decided to divert the plane to Halwara. But it crashed about 10 km south of the Halwara air base,” said an IAF spokesperson. The MIG’s wreckage was strewn in an area of about four acres.

Eyewitnesses said the tail of the plane caught fire when it was flying over Goindwal village, 3 km away from the crash site. The pilot then flew the plane towards Raikot before ejecting at Raikot-Johlan Road and the plane finally fell on the fields belonging to Jaspal Singh and Sher Singh.

“I was working in the fields when I saw a fireball in the sky approaching towards us. We panicked and ran for cover. We saw two parachutes in the air and the pilot ejecting. Within a few minutes, the plane crashed with a loud blast,” said Harnek Singh and Gurmeet Singh, both Raikot residents.

The shocked pilot was taken to the house of one Bhola, who offered him water and eatables. The pilot was later shifted to a Halwara hospital.

Defence PRO (Punjab), Naresh Vig said the IAF has ordered an inquiry to ascertain the cause of the crash.

Raikot hails the hero
Tribune News Service

Pilot Wg Cdr Sandeep Singh

Raikot (Ludhiana), June 15
Raikot owes it all to Wing Commander Sandeep Singh. The pilot of the ill-fated MIG -21 that crashed here today risked his life to save this small town.

Singh kept his nerves when the plane caught fire and did not choose to eject immediately as he was flying over the township. He diverted the aircraft towards the fields before bailing out safely. And as soon as he landed, the first question he asked was whether the town was safe or not.

“He was in shock. But when I approached him, he enquired about our safety. I was bowled over by his sense of duty. He is our messiah,” said Karamjeet Singh, a local youth.

The city has decided to honour the brave son of the soil on Independence Day this year. “We will hold a function and proclaim him as the Hero of Raikot,” said Amandeep Gill, president of Raikot Municipal Council.