Mirage 2000 crashed in Bengaluru due to technical malfunction, not pilot error: Blackbox data

The blackbox data of the Mirage 2000 which crashed in Bengaluru in February 2019, killing both the pilots, suggests that it was not due to the pilot’s error, but indicates towards technical malfunction related to sensors. A court of inquiry will ascertain cause of accident is still going on.

The black box of the Mirage-2000 trainer aircraft was sent to France's Dassault Aviation, the Original Equipment Manufacturer, for decoding of its data. A black box collects in-flight information and decrypting it gives insights about the aircraft's activities. Usually the decoding of the black box takes place in India, but this black box was sent to France because it was badly burnt in the crash on February 1, the official added.

Squadron Leader Samir Abrol and Squadron Leader Siddhartha Negi, both from Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, were killed in the crash at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Airport in Bengaluru.

They were conducting an acceptance sortie of the newly upgraded Mirage-2000 trainer jet. Several reasons -- such as mechanical failure in the aircraft --  have been cited as possible reasons for the crash and the black box is a vital link to determine the exact cause. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and the Indian Air Force are jointly investigating the reasons behind the crash.