KFIR Trainer destroyed.
October 23, 2004
The Air force of Ecuador has revealed that, the
aircraft involved in the accident belonged to the KFIR pilots Training
fleet.
People from the towns of Buenos Aires and Chiquita, part of the Milagro
and Yaguachi Cantons respectively, returned to their normal routine some
time after military personnel picked up the remains of a FAE KFIR TC-2
which had an accident last Thursday, some 3 miles north from Taura-Air
force Base, Province of Guayas.
The aircraft, was flying together with another one of the same type over
the city of Guayaquil, where a Military Ceremony was being performed.
When the aircraft was approaching Taura Air force Base on finals,
suddenly, it caught on fire and crashed.
According with witnesses, a little after 5:00 PM a very loud noise was
heard and then they saw the plane flying very low and it was on fire.
They also were able to see the two pilots ejecting from the plane with
their seats and right after that, there was a big explosion.
Shortly after, a group of military personnel, fire-fighters and two
ambulances arrived to the site of the accident, while two helicopters (
probably TH-57s) were hovering above the area. The next day the place
was declared Off limits until the remains of the plane were recovered
completely for investigation.
Meanwhile, in the town of Chiquita from Canton Milagro, some High school
students were watching how military personnel were working on fixing the
damage that one of the fuel tanks of the plane had caused in the local
school. The school's Principal, said that the school's roof had been
broken in two places. Also, as a result of the impact, a great deal of
fuel had been spread over the place and the odor was strong. However,
the normal activities were not suspended.
Another fuel tank had crashed next to an old man. He had thought that
war had taken place because a lot of metal pieces began to fall from the
sky.
The 500 families that live in the area, believed that they were in the
middle of a battling zone. Just minutes before they had seen two
aircraft flying over, like it usually happens, because the village is
located on the same route that the FAE Combat aircraft use for their
training.
Another man was with his family when he saw the three fuel tanks being
jettisoned. He made his wife and kids to search refuge inside their
house, once he really believed they were being attacked by enemy planes.
Article obtained from "El Universo" Ecuadorean newspaper.
Translated by
Wilson F. Garrido.
via Wilson Garrido
Capitan Alex Padilla
Remains of the crashed Ecuadorian Air Force Kfir TC-2 trainer