Two Indian Air Force Pilots Dead After IAF’s Mirage 2000 Upgraded By HAL Crashes In Bengaluru During Testing

A Mirage fighter aircraft crashed at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport in Bengaluru on Friday (1 February) killing two pilots.

The aircraft was being flown by two test pilots, Squadron Leader Negi and Squadron Leader Abrol, of the Indian Air Force (IAF). They were taking the plane for an acceptance test flight after it had been upgraded by HAL, reports Economic Times.

According to the report, a rescue operation was launched by the authorities in the aftermath of the incident.

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, IAF sources were cited in an ANI report as saying.

According to an ET report, an IAF statement said that the Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft was on an acceptance sortie after an upgrade by HAL and an investigation into the cause has been ordered.

The crash comes barely four days after an Indian Air Force's Jaguar fighter plane crashed in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, on 28 January.