...

Su-24 strike aircraft crashes in Russia's Far East, pilots eject

Other News Materials 23 August 2007 12:17 (UTC +04:00)

( RIA Novosti ) - An Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft crashed Thursday in the Khabarovsk Territory in Russia's Far East, but both pilots successfully ejected from the plane, an Air Force spokesman said.

"An Su-24 aircraft crashed during a training flight at the Khurba airfield," Colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky said. "No damage to ground infrastructure or casualties have been reported."

"The crew has been hospitalized at a local military hospital," he said, adding that both pilots were in a satisfactory condition.

Drobyshevsky said two Mi-8 rescue helicopters took off from the airfield immediately after communications with the aircraft were lost. Rescuers spotted the wreck and the pilots about 115 kilometers ( 70 miles) southeast of the airfield.

Military prosecutors have launched an investigation. Prosecutors said technical failure was the most likely cause of the crash.

The Su-24 is a two-seater, twin-engined strike aircraft similar to NATO's Tornado and Mirage 2000 planes. The aircraft has been in service with the Russian Air Force since the mid-1970s and is currently being replaced with advanced Su-34 Fullback tactical bombers.

Last year, flights of Su-24 were suspended twice following three crashes in various regions of Russia. Two pilots were killed in the latest crash in western Russia in July 2006.

Latest

Latest