Russian Su-24 Aircraft Crashes During Training Flight

The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that a Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer fighter-bomber crashed on Tuesday during a training flight in the Chelyabinsk region when its nose cone came off. “After an unsuccessful attempt to make an emergency landing, the pilots decided to steer the falling aircraft away from populated areas and ejected safely,” the ministry said in a statement. The incident was caused by “failure of the aircraft control system,” it added. Following the crash all Su-24 aircraft at the Shagol Airbase in the Chelyabinsk region have been grounded, said Col. Yaroslav Roshchupkin, aide to the Central Military District commander. According to him, the aircraft crashed 67 kilometers from the airfield during a routine training flight. Search and rescue teams, investigators, officials from the regional prosecutor’s office, law enforcement agencies and emergency and civil defense ministry are currently working at the scene, according to local media.