 On 16 March 2011, pilots of one MiG-21bis and one MiG-21UM fighter jets which took off from the Ghardabiya airport defected with their planes to the opposition and landed in rebel-held air force base in Brega.Free Libyan air force aircraft conducted more air attacks on March 16, flying three combat sorties with Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters, bombing pro-Gadaffi tank columns near Ajadabiyah—during those combat sorties one rebel Mi-24 combat attack helicopter was shot down by pro-Gadaffi forces near Ajadabiyah, killing three crew members while only one crew member, Ismael Kuttep, survived (among the killed was Hussien Werfalli, commander of rebel helicopter squadron at Benina air force base, who defected to the opposition from Ghardabiya air force base just days earlier).Rebels claimed to have shot down what appeared to be a MiG-21 outside of Bohadi.