A MIG-21 aircraft of Indian Air Force crashed at the Bangalore airport on Wednesday following a suspected technical snag, killing test pilot Squadron Leader K R Muthy
Murthy managed to eject with the help of parachute that landed on a fireball triggered by the crash of the fighter plane. Belonging to IAF's Aircraft Systems and Testing Establishment, Murthy died following burn injuries and the impact of the fall, an IAF spokesman said.
Test engineer Squadron Leader K D Bhat also received injuries but is safe.
The aircraft was on a routine training sortie when it experienced problems during take-off.
The aircraft broke into pieces, leading to fuel tanks catching fire at the Bangalore Airport runway. This disrupted airport operations for some time before authorities removed the debris.