Mirage 2000 crash kills 2 ace pilots in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Two ace test pilots were killed when an upgraded Mirage 2000 combat jet crashed and burst into an inferno seconds after takeoff at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport Friday morning.

Squadron Leader Siddartha Negi and Squadron Leader Sameer Abrol, both test pilots at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Bengaluru, died in the crash.

According to official sources, the jet climbed a mere five to ten metres when it lost control, prang on the runway and broke through the barrier as it turned into a ball of fire. Sqn Ldr Sameer Abrol, in the rear seat of the two-seater, managed to eject but fell into the blaze. He was rushed to the IAF's Command Hospital but succumbed to burn injuries. The other pilot, Sqn Ldr Siddartha Negi, perished with the jet, and his body was charred beyond recognition.

Sources said the fighter aircraft was on an acceptance test sortie after an upgrade by HAL. The Flight Data Recorder or the black box has been recovered from the crash site.

While Sqn Ldr Negi hails from Dehradun and was commissioned into the IAF in June 2009, Sqn Ldr Abrol from Ghaziabad was commissioned in June 2008.

In a statement released here, HAL said, "The Company has initiated an inquiry into the accident in co-ordination with the Indian Air Force (IAF)."

The Mirage 2000 fighters joined the IAF fleet in 1985 with the air strike wing currently operating about 50 Mirage 2000 combat jets.