Three pilots die after two fighter jets crash over Albacete in Spain

Three pilots die after two fighter jets crash over Albacete in Spain
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By h.b. - Jan 20, 2009 - 7:05 PM

From left to right, Capitán Carbonell, Capitán Negrete and Lieutenant Cubillas - Photos Ministry of Defence.

The three pilots were taking part in a training flight when the accident happened.

Three pilots have died after two Spanish Airforce F-1 Mirage Fighters crashed in Albacete at 1015am this morning.

Reports say it happened during an instruction combat exercise flight, and that one of the planes had dual controls, while the other only carried the pilot.

The dead are two captains and a lieutenant under training. They have been named as 29 year old Capitan Jerónimo José Carbonell Rodríguez from Murcia, 33 year old Capitán Fernando Negrete Usón from Zaragoza, and 29 year old Lieutenant Roberto Carlos Álvarez Cubillas from León.

Ministry for Defence sources say the accident happened above the village of El Bonillo for reasons yet to be established. The planes were based in the Ala 14 of the Los Llanos airbase in Albacete, and radio silence was noted at 1015. Half an hour later the remains of one of the planes and the first body was found by a search team, and some ten minutes later and three kilometres away, the remains of the second plane were found with the other two bodies.

The Spanish Minister for Defence, Carme Chacón, and the President of Castilla-La Mancha, José María Barreda, both travelled to the Los Llanos airbase.

The Mirage F1 as used by Spain - Photo Wikipedia

The French designed Mirage F-1 has recently been modernised according to defence sources.

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