Bengaluru, A Mirage 2000 aircraft which had underwent up-gradation at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd here recently, crashed during a routine sortie killing one of its two pilots while the other was battling for life in the Commando Hospital, official sources said.

The crashed Mirage had just been upgraded by HAL and the pilots were on a routine training sortie and the fighter jet allegedly crashed due to a technical glitch. The two pilots on board of the ill-fated fighter jet were identified as Sqn. Ldr. Siddarth Negi, who died in Command Hospital near HAL Airport, and the other pilot Sqn Ldr Sameer Abrol is battling for life in the hospital.

HAL said in a twitter message that a Mirage-2000 aircraft crashed at HAL airport during a sortie at 10.30 AM today. Both pilots ejected. Further details awaited.

Luckily there was no civilian causalities as the fighter aircraft crashed into thick foliage on the backside of the airport, sources said.