North Korean Mig-21 crash in china

[Enemy Ace]

Today in Yahoo news there is a story about a Mig-21 from North Korea that crashed in China. I don't have a way to get the pictures from there to here but did anyone else see this? The more I look at the 1 picture with the article, I think it is a posed shot, not an actual crashed plane. The view is from the left rear quarter, there is dirt, etc piled around the side of the plane but there's no real wrinkeled skin, etc. The airplane is sitting perfectly upright, the vertical stab doesn't look damaged, etc. How do you dig up that much dirt with a Mig-21 sideways with no other real damage? How many high wing loading fighters like this hit the ground and stay intact at all?
Maybe it's just me but it looks like an old bone yard plane they made to look like a crash for some reason?

[airnutz]

[Warbirdnerd]

Here is the picture, although I'm not sure what China's motivation would be to stage a photograph...

[51fixer]

Here is the picture, although I'm not sure what China's motivation would be to stage a photograph...

Might have had brake problems and ran off of runway into the FBO.

Rich

[seaknight15]

The News said he was defecting and he did not make it alive.

[Elwyn]

Maybe he made it down safely but they are trying to cover up the fact by faking a crash.

[MacHarvard]

This might be perfectly legitimate but the timing is certainly up for discussion. The aircraft is a MiG-21PFM, which should have been in service 35 or 40 years ago.

Doug

[Randy Haskin]

This might be perfectly legitimate but the timing is certainly up for discussion. The aircraft is a MiG-21PFM, which should have been in service 35 or 40 years ago.

Doug

Nothing suspect about the timing IMHO -- typical for North Korea. They're still flying MiG-15s and 17s, too.

[Jarink1]

Here is the picture, although I'm not sure what China's motivation would be to stage a photograph...

Reminding the NK's who's really boss in the neighborhood comes to mind.