Sometimes MiG accidents happen due to pilot error: Parrikar

The MiG fighter planes of the Indian Air Force sometimes meet with accidents due to pilot error, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said Wednesday, but added that there has been no major incident linked to faulty planes this year.

The former Goa chief minister was addressing a press conference in Panaji, his first since he became defence minister.

"Sometimes there is pilot error too, because they do a lot of exercise with odd types of special movements. Sometimes you are training, you are not an expert, you make a mistake. I'll not comment on it, but I can tell you that that is not the cause of worry today," Parrikar said, when a reporter asked him why the MiG fighter planes, also dubbed 'Flying Coffins', were so accident-prone.

To another query on the safety and health of fighter planes operated by the armed forces, Parrikar said that 2014 has not seen major incidents due to fault of the fighter machines.

"I checked up. Currently, due to fault of planes in 2014 there are no major incidents," he said.

"Some old issues were there, but they are being sorted out. If there are some question marks, they will also be worked out," he added.