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Indian airforce loses second Mirage-2000 in a month
A French-built Mirage-2000 military jet of the Indian Air Force crashed on Tuesday after its pilot failed to control the aircraft during midair technical snags before ejecting safely, a military spokesman in New Delhi said. The aircraft took off from the central Indian city of Gwalior at 11:30 am (0600 GMT) but within minutes developed unspecified snags, airforce spokesman Squadron Leadar Mahesh Upasani said. "The pilot decided to return to base but as force-landing was not possible, he ejected," Upasani said, adding the aircraft crashed some four kilometres (2.5 miles) short of the airfield in Gwalior and exploded in flames. There were no casualties, he said, adding that the pilot had landed safely.Tuesday's crash is the second involving a Mirage-2000 in India in less than a month. On September 23 the Gwalior airbase lost a Mirage-2000 when the multi-role jet crashed into a sparsely populated region near the city. The aircraft lost its nosewheel in midflight and the pilot ejected safely. The Indian Air Force has been plagued by crashes of its ageing fleet, although accidents of Mirages have been rare. Four British-designed Jaguars of the Indian Air Force crashed in quick succession earlier this year, killing three pilots including one whose parachute failed to open.Â
Posted by: Steve White 2004-10-13 |
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