This is the second crash of a MiG series fighter aircraft this year.
The aircraft was returning from a routine training mission and crashed during the landing phase tragically killing the pilot.
An inquiry has been ordered to investigate the reasons for the accident according to sources in the Defence Ministry.
There was no damage to any property or injury to anyone else on ground. But the pilot lost his life.
“The pilot ejected but died due to injuries sustained by him,” defence spokesperson S D Goswami said.
The MiG-21 ‘Type-96’ aircraft was on a routine sortie and crashed near the airfield, which is about 15 kms from Bikaner city, he said.
On 4th February, an IAF MiG-21 ‘Bison’ fighter plane had crashed apparently due to an engine problem while on a routine sortie in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district but the pilot had ejected safely.
In 2010, a total of 10 IAF aircraft crashes took place including four MiG-27 and two MiG-21 planes.
The aircraft which took off around 1200 hrs was flown by Flying Officer M S Pillai, defence sources said.
The crash site, adjacent to the Naal airfield, has been cordoned off by the defence personnel who are investigating the incident, they said.
Meanwhile, in a written reply in Lok Sabha, Defence Minister A K Antony had on Monday said that in the last three years, 24 fighter aircraft accidents had taken place in which four service personnel and five civilians lost their lives.
“A total of Rs 40 lakh has been paid as compensation to the next of kin of defence personnel and Rs 40.69 lakhs to the civilians,” he said.
The Defence Minister said of the 24 accidents, 23 per cent were due to human error.
He said steps such as increased use of simulators for training keeping in view emergency situations besides focussed and realistic training has been started to prevent accidents.