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Can someone identify the aircraft based on the components, riveting style, or other technical details visible in these crash pictures?

a) Based on publicly available details, the chief suspects are MiG21-Bis or F-16. Are there US vs Soviet construction details, materials, etc that can enable identification based on these images?

b) There is a drop-tank in the images, which is claimed to be only compatible with one of these two aircraft. I'm looking for someone familiar with the MiG-21 or F-16 to comment.

Background:

Three aircraft crashed in the Kashmir region during hostilities on 27th Feb 2019. One was an Indian MiG-21bis, whose pilot ejected and was apprehended by Pakistani locals. Another was a Mi-17 helicopter, which crashed "due to technical reasons" killing six persons onboard, within Indian territory.

No information is available about the third aircraft; Indian sources claim they hit an F-16 while Pakistani spokespersons said they did not have F-16s in the area.

These are purportedly pictures of the downed third aircraft. This could be part of an F-16, JF-17, MiG-21, SU-30MKI, or Mirage in Pakistani or Indian service.

Unidentified Military Aircraft downed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir source: Photo/ANI Unidentified Military Aircraft downed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir source: Photo/ANI

drop-tank

There is also a low-resolution video available via twitter, showing the droptank recovered from the site being loaded into a truck.

Link to low-resolution video on Youtube

source: @MdShafiKhatana/Twitter

Edit:

This is a recent incident. Some sources claim the image shows a part of an F-16 engine. Is this plausible?

enter image description here source: Photo/ANI

Edit 2:

Is it plausible that this number "J0269" (from the above picture) can be used to identify the aircraft as an F-16B Block 20 MLU with tail number J-269 using this link?

J0269

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    $\begingroup$ I’d say it’s unlikely the item in the top pic is the compressor case, as pictures of accidents I have seen, the engines have been pretty much intact, even though badly damaged. There’s lots of bolts on the flanges of a case. For it come completely off, would be very unusual, IMHO. Basically, I feel your question is impossible to answer, given a single picture and the large degree of damage, rendering identification a complete guess. $\endgroup$
    – Penguin
    Commented Feb 28, 2019 at 10:00
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    $\begingroup$ Questions about ongoing crash investigations are normally off topic, I think this might just be on topic because it’s an identify from photo question. That said, I think based on the quality of the photos and the background answers are most likely to be speculation, so I’ve flagged as opinion based. $\endgroup$
    – Notts90
    Commented Feb 28, 2019 at 13:02
  • $\begingroup$ The only five aircraft expected in the area are Mig-21, F-16, JF-17, Mirage and Su-30MKII. Out of this, based on publicly available details, the chief suspects are MiG21-Bis and F-16. Are there US vs Soviet construction details, materials, etc? In the linked video there is a drop-tank being loaded into the truck, which is claimed to be only compatible with certain aircraft. I'm looking for someone familiar with these types of aircraft to comment. $\endgroup$
    – Pranab
    Commented Feb 28, 2019 at 14:03
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    $\begingroup$ Given that L-269 was sold to Jordan, not Pakistan, and doesn't seem to have been sold on, it wouldn't be that one. As these are Pakistani soldiers taking pictures, and Pakistan denies an F-16 was shot down, I think we can assume that the pictures would not have made it past their censors had it been an F-16. $\endgroup$
    – jwenting
    Commented Feb 28, 2019 at 14:57
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    $\begingroup$ The first part of the handwriting on the box looks more like a "B" to me than a "J". $\endgroup$
    – BowlOfRed
    Commented Feb 28, 2019 at 17:28

1 Answer 1

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It's a MiG21. There was another photo showing the front section area and the unmistakable nose cone of the MIG21.

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  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to the site. Can you add this photo please with the proper attribution? $\endgroup$
    – user14897
    Commented Mar 1, 2019 at 0:21
  • $\begingroup$ @HoldenMcGroyne I don't even see a nose cone, can you be more specific? $\endgroup$
    – Jihyun
    Commented Mar 1, 2019 at 3:14
  • $\begingroup$ @HoldenMcGroyne Since there were three crashed aircraft on that day, with wreckage spread over a wide area as well, this question is limited to identifying from these photographs restricted to one recovery site, if possible. $\endgroup$
    – Pranab
    Commented Mar 1, 2019 at 9:56

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