Indian MiG-23 crashes, pilot dead

An Indian Air Force MiG-23 fighter jet crashed in the western desert state of Rajasthan on Saturday, killing the pilot, an air force official said.
"The crash happened at Pokharan in Rajasthan. The MiG-23 was on a routine sortie. Unfortunately, the pilot sustained fatal injuries," Air Force spokesman Mahesh Upasani told Reuters.
He said an inquiry had been ordered into the accident and he cause of the crash was not immediately known.
India, which has the world's fourth largest air force, has been criticised for its woeful safety record. Defence officials estimate at least 170 MiGs have crashed in the past decade.