MOSCOW, Sept 20 – A Su-27 fighter jet crashed during a test flight in Russia\’s Far East on Monday but both pilots managed to eject, a spokesman for the emergencies ministry said.
"The plane crashed," the spokesman told AFP.
"There was a fire. Firefighters put it out," he added. The accident took place at an aircraft maintenance plant in the village of Vozdvizhenka on the Russian Pacific.
The fighter jet crashed during its first test flight following repairs, said spokesman for the Russian Air Force, Vladimir Drik.
"The crew was taken to a hospital after landing. The pilots are in a satisfactory condition," Drik said in a statement, adding no-one else was hurt as a result of the accident.
"There are no victims and damage on the ground," the statement said.
A special commission will look into the cause of the accident which was not immediately clear, it added.
Accidents involving Russian military aircraft are relatively common. The country is currently embarking on a major programme to modernise its military, not least the air force which is still using a lot of Soviet-era equipment. as/gk
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