Don’t you just hate it when a N.Korean MiG-21 crashes in your neighborhood?

Intelligence sources in Beijing believe the pilot crashed the plane in an attempt to defect but have not ruled out mechanical failure.

A diplomatic source in Beijing said, “Staff from the North Korean consulate in Shenyang arrived at the scene of the crash, and the plane was not attacked by the Chinese military, so it is still unclear whether the crew were defecting or experienced technical problems.”

The South Korean military is apparently analyzing the crash. A South Korean military source said, “Our radars identified the aircraft taking off from an airbase near the North Korean city of Sinuiju on Tuesday afternoon and tracked its movement through our air defense systems in Osan.”

Mike Saunders also speculates about the dearth of burnt earth. Where the pilot could have been panning to land is uncertain.

Filed under: East Asia, Korea Tagged: china, defection, dprk, mig-21, north korea, prc