1 week ago
Netflix Documentary Reexamines India’s MiG-21 Safety Record
The MiG-21 was a fighter jet used by India for more than 60 years.
A new Netflix documentary tells the story of the pilots who flew it.
Some people called the jet a “flying coffin” because it was involved in many crashes.
Retired Air Force officers say those numbers should be understood alongside how much the jet was used.
They also say pilots were trained to deal with emergencies.
One former chief said he flew 1,000 hours without an accident.
Government data still shows that more than 500 MiG-21s crashed and more than 170 pilots died.
The last two MiG-21 squadrons were retired in September 2025.
Many former pilots feel sad that an aircraft they valued is no longer being flown.
The Last Salute celebrates the MiG-21’s 62-year Indian Air Force service.
Retired IAF officers dispute the aircraft’s “flying coffin” reputation.
BS Dhanoa cites a safety rate of about 2.95 accidents per 100,000 flying hours.
Government data records more than 500 MiG-21 crashes and over 170 pilot deaths.
The final two MiG-21 squadrons were decommissioned in September 2025.
- Who
- The Indian Air Force, former IAF officers and pilots, and director Kushal Srivastava.
- What
- The Netflix documentary The Last Salute examines the MiG-21’s service, safety record and retirement from the IAF.
- Where
- With the Indian Air Force in India; the documentary is streaming on Netflix.
- When
- The aircraft served from 1963 until the final two squadrons were decommissioned in September 2025; the documentary is now streaming.
- Why
- The film addresses the MiG-21’s combat legacy, accidents and disputed “flying coffin” reputation.
Veterans’ Defense
Crash Record Concerns
Overall safety
Veterans’ Defense
Former officers argue the MiG-21 should be judged against its extensive use and comparative accident rates. BS Dhanoa cited a rate of about 2.95 accidents per 100,000 flying hours and said it was lower than rates for the MiG-27, Hunter and Gnat.
Crash Record Concerns
Government data cited in the article records more than 500 MiG-21 crashes and over 170 pilot deaths, making it the IAF fighter aircraft involved in the highest number of crashes.
Meaning of the “flying coffin” label
Veterans’ Defense
Former officers say the label is unfair to the aircraft, the IAF and thousands of pilots, and that media coverage can demoralize those who fly and maintain it.
Crash Record Concerns
The label arose from the aircraft’s long history of accidents, including more than 20 crashes from 2010 to 2022 and 38 from 2003 to 2013.
Causes of accidents
Veterans’ Defense
Veterans point to pilot training and successful emergency responses, including safe ejections after bird strikes and landings after hydraulic failures.
Crash Record Concerns
The article says crashes had varied causes, including technical defects, human error, bird strikes and spatial disorientation.
Key facts
- Documentary
- The Last Salute: A Love Letter to MiG-21
- Director
- Kushal Srivastava, a former Air Force officer
- IAF induction
- 1963
- Service duration
- More than six decades
- Fleet size
- More than 700 MiG-21s across different variants
- Crash data
- More than 500 MiG-21s crashed over six decades, with more than 170 pilots killed, according to government data cited by The Indian Express
- Retirement
- The final two MiG-21 squadrons were decommissioned in September 2025
Quotes
NJS Dhillon
Retired Air Marshal discussing the aircraft’s public reputation
“I think it will be unfair to the MiG-21, to the Air Force and to the thousands of pilots who have flown the MiG-21 if we don’t contest the image that the media has projected of the MiG-21, calling the MiG-21 a ‘flying coffin’ and a ‘widow maker.’”
indianexpress.com
“I myself flew 1,000 hours on a MiG, which is a hell of a lot. It was accident-free. The squadron that was under me had only two accidents. Both accidents were bird hits. In a single-engine aircraft, if you have a bird hit, what can you do?”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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