By Express News Service BENGALURU: A Mirage-2000 aircraft crashed at HAL Airport premises on Friday morning around 10.30 AM while on a routine sortie. According to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), both pilots were ejected but later declared brought dead. Additional commissioner east, Seemanth Kumar Singh, confirmed both deaths. The pilots have been identified as Sq. Leader Siddharth Negi and Sq. Leader Abrol. "Today morning a Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft on an acceptance sortie after upgrade by HAL crashed at HAL airport, Bengaluru. Both occupants sustained fatal injuries. Further details are awaited. Investigation into the cause of the accident is being ordered," a statement said. According to doctors at HAL hospital, one of the pilots was brought to the facility within 20 minutes of the accident but was brought dead. The condition of the second pilot who was critical succumbed as well. #Visuals: Mirage 2000 trainer fighter aircraft of HAL crashes at HAL Airport in Bengaluru, one pilot dead. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/oM4CUEPu97 — ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2019 Thick smoke enveloped the area where the crash occurred and several videos of the incident could be seen online on social media. The HAL airport is surrounded by many apartments and residences and citizens took to social media posting videos and pictures of the crash. HAL, in a tweet, confirmed that the plane was a Mirage-2000 and that the incident happened during a routine sortie. The Mirage-2000 is a single-engine fighter aircraft developed by French company Dassault and used by the Indian Air Force. In 2012, two 2-seater trainer air-crafts had crashed in February and March of that year. The first Mirage was delivered in 1985 and the aircraft also took part in the Kargil war of 1999.<doc-sep>BENGALURU: A Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft, which had been just upgraded by defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), crashed soon after taking off at the HAL airport here, resulting in the death of Squadron Leader Siddartha Negi and Squadron Leader Samir Abrol, both test pilots with the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment of the Indian Air Force (IAF).The defence ministry spokesperson in Bengaluru said: “Today morning, a Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft on an acceptance sortie after upgrade crashed at HAL airport. Both occupants sustained fatal injuries. Investigation into the cause of accident is being ordered.”This aircraft had been flown six times by test pilots in HAL, and the Friday flight was the second customer (Indian Air Force) sortie.“The crash happened soon after the aircraft took off around 10.30am, and the pilots were forced to eject which suggests a system problem. The plane hit the arrest barrier at the end of the runway and dragged it. The parachutes were deployed but it was too late,” a source in the know of things said.While both pilots ejected, Negi landed in the wreckage and Abrol sustained severe injuries. Around noon, authorities confirmed that both died at the hospital.The IAF, struggling with depleting number of aircraft in its squadrons, lost the burnt aircraft. It’s not clear whether the aircraft caught fire prompting the pilots to eject or it caught fire after they ejected.“The emergency services, including in-house fire brigade, arrived at the spot within minutes of the crash,” one official said.Around 11.30am, investigating teams from IAF and HAL began checking the crash site, even as curious onlookers perched on compound walls and other vantage points.Within an hour, the flight data recorder (black box) was recovered, sealed and taken away. At least two choppers were pressed into service after the incident, and the wreckage was at the spot well into the afternoon.While Negi, hailing from Dehradun, was commissioned in June 2009, Abrol, from Ghaziabad, was commissioned in June 2008.While defence officials didn’t immediately confirm the number of flying hours to their names, they surely had more than 3,500 hours each as they were test pilots.One source, suggesting there may have been a problem with the landing gear not retracting in time, said: “Nothing can be said for sure until the crash investigation report comes.”HAL, which has been upgrading the Mirage fleet under a contract since 2015, said: “HAL family expresses deepest condolences to the grief-stricken families. The company has initiated an inquiry into the accident in co-ordination with the Indian Air Force.”The IAF wanted upgradation of 49 Mirage 2000 aircraft at a cost of Rs 10,947 crore, of which two were delivered by the parent company — Dassault Aviation, which also makes the Rafale — and the rest were to be done by HAL. The IAF has earmarked Rs 6,600 crore for the inclusion of MICA (multi-mission air-to-air missile) systems.<doc-sep>HAL Airport Bengaluru Dassault Aviation A Mirage 2000 aircraft belonging to the Indian Air Force crashed ataround 10:30 am on Friday morning. Both pilots were killed in the crash.The incident happened near Yamalur, off old Airport Road. The plane went up in flames during take off for a sortie and it crashed with an explosion and thick smoke billowed from the spot, leaving passersby and residents living around the airport in a shock.Firefighters and the ground staff at the HAL airport swung into action to douse the flames. However, they could not save the two pilots. They were identified as Squadron leader Sameer Abrol and Squadron leader Siddharth Negi.The Ministry of Defence said in a statement, "Today morning a Mirage 2000 trainer ircraft on an acceptance sortie after upgrade crashed at HAL Airport,. Both occupants sustained fatal injuries. Further details are awaited. Investigation into the cause of accident is being ordered. "The HAL is carrying out upgrade of the Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft fleet of the Indian Air Force under a deal signed with France. The French firmcarried out upgrades on the first two of the 49 planes while the remaining are being done by HAL.— With inputs from agencies<doc-sep>
Two pilots were killed after their Mirage fighter aircraft crashed during takeoff at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport in Bengaluru on Friday. The two pilots were identified as Sqn Ldr Sameer Abrol and Sqn Ldr Siddhartha Negi. According to the officials, the pilots made a bid to eject, but they were caught in the flames as the plane crashed with a huge explosion. "This morning, a Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft on an acceptance sortie after upgrade crashed at the HAL Airport, Bengaluru," a Defence public relation officer said in a statement. "Both occupants sustained fatal injuries. Further details are awaited. Investigation into the cause of accident is being ordered," he added. The incident happened near Yamalur, off old Airport Road, when the Mirage 2000 trainer fighter aircraft of HAL, flown by two pilots, crashed. The aircraft was being flown by two test pilots of the Indian Air Force. Squadron Leader Negi and Squadron Leader Abrol were taking the plane for an acceptance test flight after it had been upgraded by the HAL there. A rescue operation was launched by the authorities. One of the two pilots died after managing to eject from the plane but he fell on the debris itself. The other pilot was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries, senior IAF sources told ANI. The reason for the crash is yet to be ascertained, but sources said prima facie it appeared that the plane had some technical defects. A detailed court of inquiry would find out the exact cause behind the crash. The HAL is carrying out upgrade of the Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft fleet of the Indian Air Force under a deal signed with France. The French firm Dassault Aviation carried out upgrades on the first two of the 49 planes while the remaining are being done by HAL. For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine