Three Russian bomber pilots killed after ejection seats activate accidentally
Three members of a Russian bomber's aircrew died on Tuesday when their ejection seats accidentally activated during pre-flight checks, the military said. The Russian Defense Ministry said the incident happened at an airbase in the Kaluga region, about 145 km southwest of Moscow. Russian media reported that the victims included Col. Vadim Beloslyudtsev, the commander of the bomber unit stationed at Shaikovka airbase.
Fourth crew member survived and was hospitalized
The Ministry said the crew of a Tu-22M3 long-range bomber was preparing for a training mission when its ejection system malfunctioned and accidentally shot the crew out. The ministry said the altitude wasn't enough for the parachutes to open and three of the four crew members died of injuries. Russian news reports further said the fourth crew member survived the incident and was hospitalized.
Electrical malfunction or human error might have caused the accident
An official investigation into the incident has been launched. The accidental activation of the rescue system is extremely rare, and some experts speculated that it could have been caused by an electrical malfunction or human error. The Tu-22M3 is a supersonic twin-engine long-range bomber, which is capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Russian Air Force has about 60 such bombers
The long-range bomber was developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. About 60 of these are estimated to be still in service with the Russian Air Force, and some have flown bombing missions to strike militants in Syria from their Russian bases.
