This is the tragic moment a plane crashed into the ground in a massive fireball killing two top pilots after a botched manoeuvre.
The incident took place at the Graf Ignatievo airbase in the village of Graf Ignatievo, shortly before a military air show was due to start in Bulgaria on Friday 13th.
Local media reported that both pilots, identified as Major Petko Dimitrov and Senior Lieutenant Ventsislav Dunkin, died instantly in the crash because the plane was flying at such a low altitude that they did not have time to eject.
Horrific footage from the disaster shows the plane, believed to be an L-39ZA Albatros, performing stunts during a training exercise ahead of the air show.
Suddenly, the pilot lifts the plane up and throws it into the air, apparently attempting a loop-the-loop, a 360-degree vertical loop.
Major Petko Dimitrov was one of two Bulgarian pilots who lost their lives in a plane crash on Friday.
Senior Lieutenant Vencislav Dunkin also lost his life after the plane crashed into the ground.
Horror footage captured the moment the plane crashed with both pilots inside
The plane exploded in a fireball shortly before a military air show was due to begin in Bulgaria.
But he appears to lose power and spins the plane in a desperate attempt to get out of the dive as the plane plummets towards the ground.
The plane fails to take off and crashes hard into the ground, instantly exploding in a fiery inferno of black smoke and burning fuel.
The person filming lowers their camera, apparently in shock, before raising it again to show the large cloud of black smoke rising into the air as the footage ends.
Bulgarian Air Force Commander General Dimitar Petrov stressed that it was a routine flight for which the pilots – “exemplary pilots with exceptional experience” – had been carefully preparing for several months and that the aircraft had recently been refurbished.
He said: “Major Dimitrov was one of the best and most experienced pilots in Bulgaria. Lieutenant Dunkin showed great promise for the future.
‘In view of the supreme sacrifice these pilots made in the line of duty, I declare September 15 a day of mourning throughout the armed forces.
‘The flags will be lowered in memory of the fallen.’
Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov canceled the air show because of the accident.
He said an investigation is underway to establish the circumstances and causes of the incident.
Prime Minister Dmitry Glavchev also expressed his condolences to the families and colleagues of the fallen pilots.
According to local media, the case is also being investigated by military prosecutors and investigators, as well as employees of the Military Police Service.
Graf Ignatievo Air Base will host major aviation demonstrations on 14 September, marking the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria’s accession to NATO and the 35th anniversary of the MiG-29 aircraft’s service in the Bulgarian Air Force.
(tags to translate)dailymail
