sábado, 29 de maio de 2010

Warplane crashes in central Russia, crew ejects safely


A Russian warplane crashed on Saturday near the city of Lipetsk in central Russia but both pilots ejected safely, the Defense Ministry said.

Spokesman Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik said the Yak-130 crashed at 16:58 Moscow time during takeoff at the Lipetsk Air Force Training Center.

He said the pilots were "in satisfactory condition".

Drik said a special commission, headed by the Air Force chief of staff, was set up to look into the accident.

A ministry source told RIA Novosti the accident could have been caused by a technical defect but that the final conclusion would only be made after a thorough investigation.

The Yak-130 Mitten is a subsonic two-seat jet trainer/light attack aircraft.