Posted on 07/31/2017 7:22:59 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
A Ukrainian Flanker crashed during a display at Sknyliv airfield, in Ukraine. The accident killed 77 people and injured 543. The deadliest air show accident in history occurred on Jul. 27, 2002, at Sknyliv airfield near Lviv, Ukraine, when a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 Flanker crashed during its display routine.
The two pilots, Volodymyr Toponar and Yuriy Yegorov, ejected safely but as a consequence of the crash 77 people died and 545 were injured, 100 of whom were hospitalised.
Several videos show the incident from different viewpoints.
The Flanker can be seen performing a sort of split-S at low altitude, descend rapidly towards the apron and taxiway. The aircraft’s left wing clipped a tree, struck the asphalt and dragged four rows of barbed wire that mowed down onlookers. The jet then hit some stationary aircraft, including an Il-76MD transport aircraft before beginning to explode and cartwheel into the crowd.
Following the disaster, the pilots stated that the airbase map they had received differed from the actual layout they found at Sknyliv airfield, where they had been also denied an extra rehearsal flight before the show. Although the root cause of the crash was found into the pilots violating the plan and performing “difficult maneuvers they had not done before”, other factors, including a small flying zone and inappropriate zoning by the show organizers who had allowed spectators to gather so close to the flight line were blamed for the tragedy.
On Jun. 24 2005, a military court sentenced pilot Volodymyr Toponar (who has always claimed the crash was due to technical problems and a faulty flight plan) and co-pilot Yuriy Yegorov to 14 and 8 years in prison, respectively. Yegorov was released in 2008.
Here’s a video of the crash and aftermath. Beware, it’s graphic content.
I think it was after that crash we could no longer go out next to the taxiways when the aircraft were performing.
The year before, saw some amazing things by the Blue Angels and previous year by the Thunderbirds (or vice-versa) up good and close.
Both engines seem to be coming apart, there.
The old lawn dart maneuver.
Oops, make that contact with the tarmac.
Yeah, probably as a result of significant FOD ingestion, probably of chunks of runway tarmac and tree branches, according to the accident description.
Yeah, I had forgotten he pancaked on the tarmac, or the taxiway, etc.
The nacelle is really stripped from that port engine and coming way off the starboard engine but not to the same degree.
I remember the F-18 guy who pancaked. By the time they saw their sink rate, it was far too late.
@ 1:02 he’s scraping that port engine nacelle or about to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjjsNQ4rCno&feature=youtu.be&t=59
I say “he” but he’s already out I should have said.
I still remember the full LiveLeak version. Once was plenty.
Flying close to the ground is just sooo dangerous!
No time to recover, no time to think of what you should do.
Altitude is your friend.
Only thing I ever flew were tiny Cessnas, a 140 and a 150...and not very much as it was too expensive for me at the time.
I would like to have an ultralight but it seems foolhardy to fly a plane that weighs less than you do..lol
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for providing threads that are a good diversion from the politic talk of the day.
OR, touch an blow (up)!
Yep. I realized later I was thinking of the Mig-29 that sucked birds but I remember this crash too.
The graphic one that showed the accident, then the aftermath? It may still be there..
I don’t want to watch it again.. was pretty gruesome :/
“I think it was after that crash we could no longer go out next to the taxiways when the aircraft were performing.”
The US has almost always had more restrictions on air shows than other countries.
Could be. I used to get right up there and watch the No. 6 plane of the Blue Angels do an amazing tight turn by the control tower and make a high-speed pass while the other 5 were doing a big loop - it was intended to startle the crowd with the boom, which it did.
As the F-18 went past, I was quite surprised how silent it was. For about .5 seconds.
I thought I experienced it incorrectly so I went back the next day and stood in the same place. Here he came —— went by silent. for about .5 seconds maybe .75 lol - Neat to experience.
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