Egyptian MiG-21 jet fighter crashes near Luxor

Mechanical failure cited; pilot bails out safely, but one villager was killed and three others wounded

By AP 13 October 2013, 3:22 pm

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An Egyptian MiG-21 jet fighter on display outside Hurghada, on the Red Sea coast (photo credit: CC BY RHL Images/Flickr)

LUXOR, Egypt — A Soviet-made MiG-21 fighter jet belonging to the Egyptian air force crashed Sunday while on a training mission near the southern ancient city of Luxor, killing a villager on the ground and injuring three, officials said.

The pilot bailed out and parachuted safely to the ground before the plane crashed in a rural area outside of Luxor, setting several houses on fire and damaging an elementary school.

The fire was quickly put out, said security and medical officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Initial reports indicated there were no casualties but the officials later revised that and said one villager had died in the crash and three were injured.

Military spokesman Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali said on his official Facebook page that the plane crashed as a result of a mechanical failure. He gave no details.

The Russian-made MiG warplanes were once the backbone of Egypt’s air force. They began to be replaced in the 1980s and 1990s by US-made fighter jets, mainly the F-16.