8 servicemen killed in 2 aircraft crashes in Romania

All eight servicemen on board two separate aircraft died in a double crash late on Wednesday in southeastern Romania, Defense Minister Vasile Dincu said here on Thursday. The authorities cited technical problems and adverse weather conditions as likely causes, reported Xinhua.

"We can only take into account the technical condition, the weather, obviously, and the management of the action. There are three dimensions on which this investigation is carried out," the minister told local Digi 24 TV.

An IAR 330 Puma helicopter in a search-and-rescue mission for a lost MiG 21 LanceR jet crashed on Wednesday night, killing all seven people on board. The body of the eighth victim, the pilot of the jet, was found on early Thursday.

The helicopter pilot had reported unfavorable weather conditions and received orders to return to base, according to the Defense Ministry.

The Romanian Air Forces have had over 400 MiG 21 combat jets since 1962. In the early 1990s, over 110 of these aircraft were converted to the LanceR standard with new avionics and systems compatible with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) requirements.

MiG fighter jets have been involved in more than 20 accidents in the past 30 years, resulting in the deaths of over ten pilots. The most recent accident occurred on April 20, 2021, when an MiG-21 LanceR fighter crashed in Mures County in central Romania. The pilot safely ejected.

Romania currently has some 20 MiG aircraft still in service. They are gradually replaced by second-hand F-16 jets.