Russian Air Force grounds all Su-24s after crash - source

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Russian Air Force grounds all Su-24s after crash - source

RIA Novosti Denis Evstafev | Buy this image18:5019/06/2009


MOSCOW, June 19 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Air Force on Friday halted flights by all Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft following a second crash in three days, a Defense Ministry source said.

The Air Force has yet to make an official announcement.

A Su-24 crashed earlier on Friday in the Rostov region of southern Russia, with both pilots ejecting safely.

A Defense Ministry source said the crash was caused by "the failure of a system."

On Wednesday, a Su-24 aircraft crashed on a runway as it landed, but both pilots also ejected safely.

However, Su-24 flights continued after the Wednesday crash, which occurred in the Murmansk region in the far northwest.

"This Su-24 crash is not a catastrophe and therefore flights by this type of aircraft have not been suspended," a Defense Ministry spokesman said at the time.

The Su-24 is a two-seat, twin-engine attack aircraft similar to NATO's Tornado and Mirage 2000 planes.

The plane has been in service with the Russian Air Force since the mid-1970s. However, in recent years Russia has gradually been phasing out the planes, which have a patchy safety record.

According to the Defense Ministry, the Su-24 will be gradually replaced with new Su-34 Fullback strike aircraft, which has the potential to become the top plane in its class for years to come.

Russian Air Force grounds all Su-24s after crash - source | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

 

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Russia grounds Su-24 jets after two crashes

Moscow, June 19: Russia on Friday grounded its entire fleet of ageing Su-24 fighter jets after a second plane crashed in the last three days.

A Su-24 jet crashed today in southern Rostov-on-Don region while landing after a routine sortie, RIA Novosti reported adding that both the pilots of the bomber safely bailed out.

The crash was the second of an Su-24 in three days, prompting air force officials to ground the entire military fleet pending an investigation.

Earlier on Wednesday another Su-24 bomber had crashed in Murmansk region in similar conditions and then also both pilots safely ejected.

The Murmansk crash was attributed to 'human error' while landing by a trainee pilot and the aircraft of this type, widely used in Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan and Russian campaign in Chechnya, were not grounded, Russian Air HQ said.

The twin-engine jet has been an important component of the Russian air force since the late 1970s. Virtually all of the country's fighter jets were built before the 1991 Soviet collapse.


Bureau Report

Russia grounds Su-24 jets after two crashes

 

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Russia resumes Su-24 flights after 10-day suspension

15:3229/06/2009
MOSCOW, June 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Air Force has resumed Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft flights after a 10-day suspension following two crashes in mid-June, a Defense Ministry official said on Monday.

The Su-24 is a two-seat, twin-engine fighter-bomber similar to NATO's Tornado and Mirage 2000 planes.

"The Air Force commander issued an order on Monday to resume Su-24 flights, which had been halted after two consecutive crashes of these aircraft," the official said.

A Su-24 plane crashed on June 19 in the Rostov region of southern Russia, with both pilots ejecting safely. Another Su-24 aircraft crashed on June 17 on a runway as it landed at an airfield in the Murmansk region in the far northwest, but both pilots also ejected safely.

Pilot error has been identified as the cause of the June 17 crash, while the June 19 accident probably resulted from a failure in the Su-24 wing positioning system, a flight safety official said on Monday.

"The cause of the Su-24's crash has been established. It was a pilot error made during the landing," Lt. Gen. Sergei Bainetov said adding that the investigation into the Su-24 crash in the Rostov region continued.

Ten pilots have died in the last decade in 13 Su-24 aircraft crashes in Russia.

The plane has been in service with the Russian Air Force since the mid-1970s. However, in recent years Russia has gradually been phasing out the planes, which have a patchy safety record.

According to the Defense Ministry, the Su-24 will be gradually replaced with new Su-34 Fullback strike aircraft, which has the potential to become the top plane in its class for years to come.
Russia resumes Su-24 flights after 10-day suspension | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire