Kazakhstan, Astana, 24 April / Trend D.Mukhtarov /
The reason of the crash of a military aircraft MiG-31 in Karaganda province of Kazakhstan was an equipment failure, the Press Service of the Ministry of Defense reported on Wednesday.
"The MiG-31 airplane crashed due to an equipment failure during the planned night training flights on April 23, 2013 at 22:41. The crew baled out, while the crew commander, Colonel Marat Edigeev 50185 Military Unit Commander) died, navigator Major Ruslan Galimzyanov is hospitalized without any threat to his life," the report says.
According to the ministry, in December 2012 the MiG-31 airplane passeda complete overhaul at the aircraft repair plant No. 514 in Rzhev, Russiais at warranty service, flow 42 hours after the overhaul. During the planned flight on April 23 the airplane made four succesful flights (three flights during the daytime, one at night), during the fifth flight it crashed.
"Representatives of '514 ARZ' plant in Rzhev are called in relation to the catastrophe. A commission of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan is working at the scene of the acident," the press release says.