Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defence revealed details of the MIG-31 fighter jet accident that happened shortly after the aircraft took off from Karagandy airport on the evening of April 16. The military plane was on a regular training flight when a fire started in one of the engines and two pilots had to eject themselves, crashing the plane into an empty field.
The flight was piloted by lieutenant colonel Kurmangaliyev and lieutenant colonel Gavrilko, both of whom had extensive practical experience, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release issued the next day. In particular, Gavrilko had 1,161 flying hours experience, Kurmangaliyev – 888. The aircraft was manufactured in 1991.
The Ground Search and Rescue Service of Kazakhstan Air Force was the first to arrive at the crash site, providing firs-aid to the pilots, after which they were immediately taken to hospital, the statement says. One of the pilots is said to be in a stable condition, while the other one had suffered moderate injuries.
The Kazakh Defense Ministry will conduct a thorough crash investigation, appointing a special commission. The incident is reported to be the fourth accident involving MiG-31 in Kazakhstan with the previous ones taking place in 2007, 2008 and 2013.
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