Wife of 'Mirage 2000' pilot, who was killed in Bengaluru crash, set to join Indian Air Force

If ‘iron willpower’ had a face, it would be that of Garima Abrol. A woman of unimaginable strength and perseverance, Abrol is setting up a benchmark for those who get depressed by the lows in their lives. Abrol is wife of Squadron Leader Samir Abrol, who was killed in Mirage 2000 crash in Bengaluru in February earlier this year. Five months after her husband’s death, Abrol just cleared the Services Selection Board exams in Varanasi recently and is set to join the Indian Air Force. According to latest media reports, Garima Abrol will join the Indian Air Force Academy located in Telangana's Dundigal. It will be only in January 2020 that she will be formally inducted in the Indian Air Force.

Air Marshal (Retired) Anil Chopra was among those who hailed her never-say-die attitude. Since then, people on social media have just ‘salutes’ for the to-be air force officer. “Mrs Garima Abrol, wife of Sqn ldr Samir Abrol who martyred in Mirage2000 fighter plane crash while test flying it at HAL Airport. To join Air Force Academy. Woman of exceptional substance and will join @IAF_MCC in Jan 2020. Not all woman are made equal some are Armed forces Wives,” Chopra said on Twitter.

 

Mrs Garima Abrol, wife of Sqn ldr Samir Abrol who martyred in Mirage2000 fighter plane crash while test flying it at HAL Airport. To join Air Force Academy. Woman of exceptional substance and will join @IAF_MCC in Jan 2020.
Not all woman are made equal some are Armed forces Wives pic.twitter.com/gY7G8pV7f3

— Aviator Anil Chopra (@Chopsyturvey) July 14, 2019

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 --  were cited as possible reasons for the crash and the black box is a vital link to determine the exact cause. Later, the blackbox data of the Mirage 2000 which crashed in Bengaluru, suggested that it was not due to the pilot’s error, but indicates towards technical malfunction related to sensors.  

In same month of January, two planes of the Indian Air Force’s Surya Kiran Aerobatic teams crashed after a mid-air collision at the Yelahanka airbase during Aero India Show in Bengaluru. One  pilot was killed two others were injured who ejected to safety during a rehearsal for the Aero India show.