2 Iranian fighter jet pilots killed in ‘collision with hangar roof’ as ejector seat malfunctions – reports

Iranian state-affiliated media has reported the death of two fighter pilots at Dezful Air Base, with claims a “technical defect” caused their ejector seats to engage, firing the pilots into the hangar roof.

Speaking to IRNA on Tuesday, Ali Farahmandpour, deputy governor and special governor of Dezful, confirmed that the incident occurred on the ground and there had been no flying on Monday. 

He stated that all flights can be observed on radar programs, adding that any claim that the plane crashed during a flight was fake news. The jet is not damaged, Farahmandpour told IRNA.

“More details about this incident and its martyred pilots will be informed through the fourth air force base of Dezful,” he added. 

According to reports, the deaths occurred when ejector seats were wrongly activated for both the front and rear cockpits. The pilots, identified by the media as Kianoosh Basati and Hossein Nami, lost their lives as a result of a severe impact with the roof of the hangar. 

The incident reportedly occurred in an F-5 training aircraft. Iran has a number of legacy F-5, used for training, while the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company currently produces three aircraft, the Azarakhsh, Saeqeh, and Kowsar, derived from the US jet.

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