Romanian Air Force suspends all MiG-21 flights

On 12 April 2022, around 17:50 hours LT, a MiG-21 LanceR from the Forțele Aeriene ale Romaniei (FAR, Romanian Air Force) took off for a training flight from Baza 57 Mihail Kogalniceanu, and declared an emergency immediately after take-off. The onboard sensors indicated an incomplete closing of the landing gear hatches.

The pilot used the appropriate checklists to solve the problem, in accordance with the aircraft’s operation manuals, and landed safely at Mihail Kogalniceaunu about an hour after getting airborne.

On 15 April 2022, the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Daniel Petrescu, suspended all MiG-21 LanceR flight operations due to the “considerably high rate of accidents”. Those accidents resulted in multiple casualties and damaged or destroyed aircraft.

This decision was made to improve aviation safety and prevent accidents by reducing the risks associated with technical failures.

At this moment around ten LanceR B and twenty LanceR C aircraft are operational by Escadrilla Aviatie Lupta / Baza 86 Aeriana Constanta/Mihail Kogalniceanu and Escadrilla 711 Aviatie Lupta / Baza 71 Aeriana Campia Turzii.

Not too long ago Major General Viorel Pana, the Chief of the Staff of the Romanian Air Force, said that Romania will have three fully equipped F-16 squadrons at the end of 2024, and that should be the start of decommissioning the MiG-21s, but the decision to suspend the flights already may indicate that the end of the MiG-21 is earlier than the end of 2024.

Photo: Facebook/Ministerul Apararii Nationale