“These were the instructors who train pilots, these were our best pilots.” Bulgaria’s defence minister, Atanas Zapryanov, said that after two Bulgarian Air Force pilots died when their L-39ZA Albatros jet trainer crashed at Graf Ignatievo air base on September 13.
The crash came soon after noon, while the aircraft was flying low-altitude manoeuvres in rehearsal for an air show planned for the next day. The jet was destroyed. Major Petko Dimitrov, 51, and a lieutenant named Ventsislav, 28, were both pilot instructors. The aircraft and crew came from Dolna Mitropoliya air base and had been preparing the routine training for months.
Bulgarian Air Force commander Major General Dimitar Petrov confirmed the deaths. Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, Zapryanov and Deputy Defence Chief Lieutenant Tsanko Stoykov joined him at a short news conference at the base.
Show cancelled, day of mourning
Zapryanov cancelled the September 14 air show, which was meant to mark 20 years of Bulgaria in NATO and 35 years of the MiG-29 in Bulgarian service. He declared the day one of mourning for the armed forces, with flags at half-staff. State railway BDZ, which had planned extra trains to Graf Ignatievo station for spectators, scrapped them and said ticket holders would be refunded in full.
Photographers and camera operators were still at the base from a morning demonstration in which President Roumen Radev, a former air force commander, flew in an F-16. Bulgarian-language media reported that military personnel ordered people who filmed the crash to delete their pictures. It was not immediately clear what legal basis such an order had. Some outlets still published images of the site, where a thick plume of smoke rose over the base.
Investigation
Military prosecutors and investigators opened pre-trial proceedings on September 13. The Prosecutor’s Office said it would question witnesses and everyone involved in planning and flying the training sortie, as well as those who maintained the aircraft and ground equipment. It would also seize all documentation and order forensic examinations.
The Czech-made, Soviet-era two-seater has served in Bulgaria for about four decades. The air force started with 36, and most have been retired. Bulgaria signed a framework agreement with the manufacturer in 2022 to overhaul two of the remaining few, and the jet that crashed was reportedly one of them. A new agreement covering the rest followed in 2024.
Graf Ignatievo is being prepared to host Lockheed Martin F-16s, which Bulgaria is buying to meet NATO standards as the ageing MiG-29s are phased out.
Sources
- Bulgarian L-39 Crashes During Air Show Rehearsal at Graf Ignatievo Air Base — European Airshows
- Two aviators confirmed dead in jet crash at Bulgaria’s Graf Ignatievo air base
