VIDEO: IAF’s Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft crashes in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri

An Indian Air Force (IAF) twin-seater Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft crashed near Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, February 6, during a routine training sortie. According to news reports, both pilots ejected safely.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the crash, that occurred after encountering a system malfunction.

Additional SP Sanjeev Mule confirmed the incident and told ANI, "The incident happened around 2.30 pm. An aircraft of Gwalior Air Force Base crashed near Sunari village of Karaira police station area. Both the pilots are safe. No villager was injured... Both the pilots are being rescued from there."

See the IAF Mirage 2000 Plane Crash Video Here

Both pilots ejected safely before the crash and have been recovered. Initial reports suggest there were no casualties on the ground. The IAF has confirmed the incident and stated that an investigation is underway to determine the precise reasons for the accident.

What is Fighter Aircraft Mirage 2000?

The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation.

It's a supersonic combat aircraft with a delta-wing design, sharing its general layout with the older Mirage III but incorporating advanced avionics.

The Mirage 2000 is known for its agility and manoeuvrability thanks to its low-set, thin wing with a 58° leading-edge sweep.

Powered by a SNECMA M53-P2 afterburning turbofan engine, it can reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.2 (2,336 km/h).

Past IAF's Mirage 2000 Crashes in India

Here are some notable incidents involving Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft crashes in India over the past 10 years:

February 1, 2019: A Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from HAL Airport in Bengaluru, resulting in the deaths of both test pilots, Squadron Leader Samir Abrol and Squadron Leader Siddhartha Negi. The aircraft was undergoing an acceptance test flight after an upgrade program by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Footage suggested a possible mechanical issue and failure of the arrester barrier may have contributed to the accident. The jet's black box was sent to France for analysis.

January 28, 2023: A Mirage 2000 was involved in an accident along with a Sukhoi-30 in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district during a routine operational flying training mission. While initial reports suggested a possible mid-air collision, this was not confirmed5. One pilot was killed, while two others were safely rescued3.

March 12, 2018: A Mirage-2000 crashed near Bhind shortly after taking off from Gwalior, but both pilots managed to eject safely.

February 24, 2012: A Mirage-2000, flown by an Air Marshal, crashed near Bhind five minutes after taking off from Gwalior. The pilot ejected safely.