NEW DELHI

A pilot was killed when an Indian military aircraft crashed in central India on Wednesday morning, an official statement said.

"A MiG-21 Bison aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was involved in a fatal accident this morning, while taking off for a combat training mission at an airbase in central India," the Indian Air Force said.

It identified the deceased pilot as Group Captain A Gupta, and stated a court of inquiry was ordered into the incident to find out the cause of the incident.

"IAF expresses deep condolences and stands firmly with the family members ...," the statement added.

There have been a number of incidents involving MiG-21 in the last few years. In January, a MiG-21 aircraft crashed in the Rajasthan state, where the pilot managed to eject safely.

In November last year, a MiG-21 navy pilot went missing after his aircraft crashed in the Arabian Sea. His body was recovered days later.