Continued:
An air force spokesman, Squadron Leader SN Dhingra, said the newly-formed association was an emotional reaction of the families of the pilots.
He said: "During the last five years, we have specified before parliament the cause of the MiG accidents - whether hit by birds or human error”
July 25, 2003
Members of families of pilots killed in MiG-21 crashes have sought an appointment with President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to request his intervention in the issue of the frequent crashes of these fighter planes and prevent further loss of lives.
A day after Defence Minister George Fernandes announced in Parliament that he intended to fly in a MiG 21, the families came together under the banner of the Abhijit Air Safety Foundation and sent a letter to the President, seeking an interview with him on August 5.
Wing Commander Anil Gadgil (retd), his wife Kavita and son Kedar told media persons here that as the President was an aeronautical and missile scientist and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, they had decided to meet him.
“We would like to discuss the issue of frequent MiG 21 crashes and seek his intervention and direction in this regard,’’ they said.
The Gadgil’s lost their son, Flight Lieutenant Abhijit Gadgil, in a MiG-21 crash on September 17, 2001 when he was leading a formation on a dark night from Suratgarh to Bikaner.
Abhijit’s mother Kavita, teaching military orientation to students for the past 10 years, pointed out that the last 35 months had seen 30 accidents involving MiG-21s and 17 pilots had died with one aircraft and two pilots missing.
Nine civilians had been killed in these accidents, she said.
Mr. Fernandes, who recently flew a sortie on the Russian-origin Sukhoi fighter aircraft, would be in Mumbai tomorrow in connection with a felicitation function organized by several Karnataka associations for his role in the development of the Konkan region.
An emotionally charged Ms Gadgil said flight training should be in six-axis flight simulator and advanced jet trainers should be acquired at the earliest.
“The Defence Minister should look at important issues rather than undertake joy rides,’’ she said, adding that the family had nothing against the Defence Minister, but were fighting against the system.
“In this regard, our Defence Minister’s recent statements about the acquisition of advanced jet trainers were disturbing. In spite of the instances of MiG-21 crashes, it was shocking to learn that the Defence Ministry returned Rs 9,000 crore unspent. The Defence Minister seems to defend his position by blaming it on Tehelka,’’ the foundation said in a press note.
“The soldier does not get his new equipment, the sailor is without his new sails and young fighter pilots in old MiGs have to die without a war and a cause,’’ they said, pointing out that three or four successive retired Air chiefs had stated in the media that the lack of advanced jet trainers for the past decade was a major contributory factor in pilot error verdict in many MiG-21 crashes. — UNI
The three main causes of accidents cited by the IAF were human error (mostly pilot error), technical failure or major technical deficiencies and adverse environment conditions like weather, bird-hits and ATC.
The Gadgil’s alleged that MiG-21s were fitted with primitive flight data recorders, leaving little hard evidence for accident investigation
In most cases, they said, it was only the pilot who could be able to depose or give any evidence or enumerate the sequence leading to the accident, but as most of the time he was killed in the mishap, these details were never known. — UNI
August 5, 2003
Families of some of the pilots killed in MiG-21 crashes on Tuesday met President A P J Abdul Kalam, the supreme commander of the armed forces, and appealed to him to ensure that country's soldiers were not killed by their 'own weapons'.
Emerging after a 30-minute meeting with Kalam, Kavita Gadgil and her husband Wing Commander (retired) Anil Gadgil, who has lost their son recently, told reporters that they had submitted a petition to Kalam for action to make 'flying safe'.
"We are not anti-Indian Air Force nor are we calling for grounding of the MiG-21 fleet. We know it is the backbone of our Air Force," Kavita said. "The MiG-21s at present are unsafe and we want the problems in the fighter aircraft to be solved."
"I would like to correct an impression that has been going around that we have asked for grounding of the MIG-21 aircraft because of series of accidents. I come from an air force family and my husband Wing Commander Anil Gadgil (retired) has the served the Indian air force. We are fully aware of the fact that a large fleet of the aircraft cannot be grounded overnight until it is replaced by another series of fighter jets," she added.
"The President gave us a patient hearing and read our petition and communications with IAF authorities," Kavita Gadgil, who has floated Abhijit Flying Foundation named after her dead pilot son, said.
Kalam, she said, had assured them that flight safety was receiving topmost priority in the IAF.
"We are sure the President is taking personal interest and this should send a strong signal," the Gadgil’s told newsmen.
The four-member delegation, apart from Kavita Gadgil and her husband, comprised her son Kedar Anil Gadgil and her brother Deepak Kulkarni. They had a thirty-five minute meeting with the President.

Kavita and her husband described Defence Minister George Fernandes' flight in a MiG-21 as a 'gimmick' saying 'one flight can't prove anything'.
They were also sore with IAF top brass for not adequately communicating with them on the reasons for the crash of their son's MiG 21 in September 2001.
Rebutting any move to wind up her newly floated organisation, Kavita said, "We would await the reply of our President to our petition.
She said during the meeting Kalam had told them of his keen desire to become a fighter pilot and how he had failed to make it past an entrance test as there was only nine vacancies and he was the 10th applicant.