Two aviators confirmed dead in jet crash at Bulgaria’s Graf Ignatievo air base
Two aviators have been confirmed dead after a Bulgarian Air Force L-39ZA jet crashed during a training exercise at Graf Ignatievo air base on September 13.
The dead were named as Major Petko Dimitrov, 51, and Lieutenant Ventsislav, 28. Both were pilot instructors.
The crash occurred soon after noon while the aircraft was undertaking low-altitude manoeuvres at the air base in rehearsal for an air show that had been scheduled for September 14, now cancelled on the orders of caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov.
The deaths were confirmed at a brief news conference at the air base by caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, Zapryanov, Deputy Defence Chief Lieutenant Tsanko Stoykov and Bulgarian Air Force commander Major General Dimitar Petrov.
The pilots were described as highly-skilled in flying the L-39ZA, a Czech-made two-seater jet dating from the Soviet era that has been in service with the Bulgarian Air Force for about four decades. The Air Force initially had 36, but the vast majority have been decommissioned.
Zapryanov announced that September 14 would be a day of mourning for the Bulgarian Armed Forces and flags would be flown at half-staff.
The crash happened while there were still photographers and video camera operators who had been present for a demonstration flight in the morning in which President Roumen Radev, a former Bulgarian Air Force commander, travelled in an F-16 fighter jet.
Bulgarian-language media reported that military personnel ordered those who taken visuals of the crash to delete their photos and videos. It was not immediately clear on what legal basis such an order could be given. Nonetheless, some media were able to post video and photos of the crash site, where a large plume of smoke rose up in the grounds of the air base.
The Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement on September 13 that a team of military prosecutors and investigators, had begun an investigation into the crash.
Pre-trial proceedings had been instituted, the statement said.
Witnesses would be questioned, along with all of those involved in the planning and implementation of the training flight, as well as maintenance of the aircraft and ground equipment.
All documentation related to the case would be seized and forensic investigations carried out, the Prosecutor’s Office said.
Bulgaria concluded a framework agreement with the Czech manufacturer in 2022 for an overhaul of two of the remaining few L-39 aircraft. This was successfully carried out, and a new agreement regarding the remaining aircraft was concluded in 2024. The aircraft that crashed on September 13 was reported to have been one of the two overhauled in terms of the 2022 agreement.
(Archive photo: Bulgarian Air Force)
The air show that had been scheduled for September 14 was to mark the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria joining Nato and the 35th anniversary of Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets going into service with the Bulgarian Air Force.
Bulgarian state railways BDZ, which earlier had announced that it would provide special extra trains to the Graf Ignatievo railway station for visitors to the air show, said on September 13 that these plans had been cancelled.
All who bought tickets for the additional trains would be refunded in full after presenting a valid ticket at a ticket counter, BDZ said.
(Screenshots via BNT)
Please support The Sofia Globe’s independent journalism by becoming a subscriber to our page on Patreon:
