Posted on 03/21/2007 9:13:52 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Two MiG-29 fighters collide over southern Russia - 1
18:52 | 21/ 03/ 2007
ROSTOV-ON-DON, March 21 (RIA Novosti) - Two Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters have collided in the Rostov Region in southern Russia, but both pilots survived the accident, a local police source said Wednesday.
The collision occurred near the Millerovo airfield in the afternoon, about 220 kilometers (130 miles) north of the regional center, Rostov-on-Don.
Both pilots have been transported to a nearby military hospital with minor facial lacerations, Air Force spokesman Alexander Drobyshevsky said, adding that the crash did not cause any injuries to anyone on the ground, damage to ground installations or the environment.
"The pilots are alive," Drobyshevsky said. "They have been picked up by two Mi-8 rescue helicopters and brought to a military hospital at the Millerovo airfield."
The spokesman also said that the aircraft did not carry any combat payload at the time of the crash.
A team of military investigators has been dispatched to the crash site to probe the causes of the accident and the Military Prosecutor's Office of the North Caucasus Military District has opened a criminal investigation into the collision.
The MiG-29 Fulcrum is as a single-seat fighter-interceptor with excellent maneuverability and basic ground attack capability.
It was one of the Soviet Union's most important combat aircraft in the last years of the Cold War, and remains an important asset for the Russian Air Force. The aircraft has been exported to 27 countries, and is being updated with improved avionics and electronics to keep it in service well into the 21st century.
Ethanol problems.........
Wow.
Glad the pilots are safe.
Tuffski shitzke, y'all.
Kind of a bummer for those guys since the story indicates that they are now proceding with a "criminal investigation" of the incident. Why not just an investigation of the accident and let it lead where leads?
From the markings on the wing, I see they are sponsored by Pepsi, not Coca-Cola.
They lost my support.
Beautiful aircraft. Sexy beast.
Coca-Cola's logo, as viewed in a mirror, says, in Arabic, No Mecca No Allah.........or some such......
http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/islam.asp
They say it ain't so, but wierder things have happened........
That was an interesting video!
Didn't both the pilots make it safe?
Yes, they both ejected safely, and as I recall, at least one of the pilots flew again the next day at the air show.
I thought the Paris Airshow isn't until spring.
Usually, the Rooshkies wait until then to reveal their latest collisions.
Oopski! Practicing for the Paris airshow? The Russians usually entertain the crowds with some spectacular crashes.
That video has been used often to promote a very interesting Russian contraption-their ejection seats(i think it's the K-36).Heck,some people even considered it for the F-22 Raptor a while ago.
Yob tvaya mat tovarische.
'Ethanol problems" - Yep. The flight controllers, being drunk, saw everything in double. It was the same plane colliding with itself [a new tactical maneuver].
I assume they are inferior to our similar aircraft. How do they stack up against the Saabs?
The MIG-29 might still be the best dogfighting airplane in the world, or close to it. One expert I talked to said that if you matched a MIG-29 against an F-14 in a dogfight, the best pilot would win.
But dogfighting is not expected to be a major issue in any future wars. If we went to war with North Korea or Iran, their MIG-29s would be lucky to get off the ground.
The biggest weakness of the MIG-29 is its range. It can't go as far as American planes on one tank of fuel.
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