Poland, August 31: A two-seat Belarusian Sukhoi Su-27UBM Flanker fighter jet crashed yesterday during an air show to which it was participating at Radom Air Base, Poland. Both the pilots didn’t manage to eject on time and were killed in the accident. Dynamic exhibitions at “Air Show 2009” have been cancelled, while static displays remain available for the guests.
Vyacheslav Remenchuk, spokesman for Minsk’s defense ministry, told the news agency “Belta” that the two victims are colonels Alexander Morfintsky and Alexander Zhuravlevich, both vice-commanders. “The pilots guided the plane away from the populated area without ejecting -he added- and at the cost of their own lives, prevented more severe consequences”.
15 days ago two Su-27 fighters of the Russian display team “Russian Knights” collided in mid-air killing one of the pilots before the beginning of the “MAKS 2009” air show in Moscow.
—Agencies