MIG-31 Interceptor Kazakhstan Airforce have grounded its MiG-31 fighter jet fleet following a crash on wednesday that killed the pilot ...
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| MIG-31 Interceptor |
The air force said immediately after the crash that a technical problem was the likely cause of the incident.
In a statement on Thursday, it said the aircraft had been flying at 3,000 meters altitude (10,000 feet) when it suddenly entered an undemanded roll to the left and entered a steep spiral dive. The pilot tried to recover the aircraft but could not, and the crew ejected at 1000 meters altitude, with the navigator leaving the aircraft just before the pilot.
The aircraft was diving very rapidly as the crew ejected and the pilot's parachute did not have time to fully deploy, the air force said on its website.
The world's fastest military aircraft in service, the MiG-31 is designed to intercept enemy aircraft at long distances with a powerful radar and weapons system. It is operated only by Kazakhstan and Russia.
A graduate of a Russian academy, the pilot, Col. Marat Yedigeyev was trained to fly in all weather conditions, both day and night. He had atotal 1,600 hours flight time, including 450 on MiGs.
The Kazakhstan Defense Ministry said the aircraft which went down underwent a major overhaul at a Russian factory in December. The MiG-31 was performing its fifth flight that day, and had flown 42 hours since its overhaul.
