By the Associated Press
An Indian air force MiG-21 fighter jet has crashed in a village field in northern India and its pilot is missing.
Retired fighters at Rinasi Air Base, Albania (AP / MNILA BULLETIN)
Air Force spokesman Anupam Banerjee says the plane had taken off for a routine flight from a northern air base in Pathankot on Wednesday.
The air force is searching for missing pilot. The cause of the accident is not immediately known.
In June, a Russian-designed Sukhoi fighter jet crashed during a test flight ahead of its induction into the Indian air force.
In recent years, the Indian air force has suffered a series of crashes of helicopters and MiG aircraft acquired from the former Soviet Union. The government says the accidents were caused by human error and mechanical problems.