M A I N   N E W S

Pilot of Mirage dead
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 10
Clarifying reports that the pilot of the Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft, which had crashed last night near the Gwalior airbase, had bailed out safely, the Indian Air Force (IAF) today said Flight-Lt Neehar Gururani, who was flying the aircraft, had been killed.

The IAF spokesman said here that the pilot had not ejected from the plane but had gone down with it.

He said the ill-fated Mirage fighter had taken off from the Gwalior airbase at 8.30 pm on a night exercise sortie.

The wreckage of the aircraft was found 50 km north-east of the airbase and the body of the killed pilot retrieved and brought back to the base.

The IAF has ordered a court of inquiry.

Mirage crashes surprising: IAF
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 10
Terming the recent spate of Mirage 2000 fighter crashes as “surprising and alarming”, the Air Force today said that IAF’s frontline fleet had recently been put to a strenuous checks and some of the components of the accident-involved aircraft were being examined.

Giving details of the last night’s crash of the Mirage fighter near the Gwalior Airbase, Air Marshal S.K. Malik, Vice Chief of the Air Staff said preliminary reports indicated that the pilot could have orientation problems leading to the crash.

He said the flight data recorder of the aircraft had been recovered and would be thoroughly examined by the court of inquiry instituted to probe the crash.