Mig-29 crash at Paris Air Show Le Bourget 1989

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On the opening day (8th June 1989) Mikoyan test pilot Anatoliy Kvochur was making a demonstration flight in the single-seater Mig-29 '303' Blue. During the high-alpha/low-speed pass at 160m (525ft) that was to conclude the Fulcrum's aerobatic display, the starborad engine surged, belching a sheet of flame. Kvochur immediately selected full afterburner for the working engine; however at 180km/h (111mph) he had insufficient rudder and ailereon authority to counter the trust asymmetry and the result was inevitably an irrecoverable departure.

The engine failed at 13hrs 44mins 57sec; the stricken fighter immediately yawed and rolled to starboard, the nose "falling through" until the aircraft entered a vertical dive at 13:45:01. 2.5 seconds later Kvochur ejected at 92m (302ft) after making sure that the aircraft would not hit the spectators. At 13:45:05 the fighter hit the ground beside the runway erupting into a fireball. The pilot landed a mere 30m (98ft) from the wreckage, the ejection seat impacted right next to him.

To give a credit where credit is due, the airport's rescue & firefighting team was on the scene 55 seconds after the crash. Kvochur was rushed to hospital, but was released the same day with nothing worse than bruises and a cut above his right eyebrow from the oxygen mask. Indeed he had been extremely lucky as he had ejected oustide the seat's operating envelope, not to mention the proximity of the fireballs and the falling ejection seat. Yet the incident spoke a lot for the design of the Zvezda K-36DM ejection seat, while the Mig-29 demonstrated its structural integrity by burying its entire forward fuselage, including the cockpit, in the ground before exploding.

The Mig-29 has suffered at least 2 lightning strikes immediately before the accident. However, EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE AND THE FDR ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE STARBOARD ENGINE HAD BEEN CRITICALLY DAMAGED BY MULTIPLE BIRDSTRIKES.


Pilot Anatoly Kvochur


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Excerpt from video "Test pilots. Survive in an accident" (Летчики-испытатели. Выжить в катастрофе) , created/produced by Wings of Russia Studio.
Микоян МиГ-29

Channel: Autos & Vehicles
Uploaded: June 23, 2007 at 9:17 pm
Author: Tsobanian

Length: 00:02:24
Rating: 4.78
Views: 148479

Tags: Mikoyan Mig-29 Fulcrum crash accident engine failure airshow air maneuvres airplane aircraft Russian military aviation

Video Comments:
SloyZlon (October 10, 2008 at 1:58 am)
мляяя мужику реально повезло с такими параметрами падения выжить
Kubsky (October 9, 2008 at 12:35 pm)
крутое пике, мля ))) у русских все через зад
pilotossss (October 5, 2008 at 12:39 pm)
akoze kkti co tu pisu picoviny ze rusi su neschopny piloti ne?...naopak
Morgriz (September 19, 2008 at 4:04 pm)
I have to agree with Jimmy, the planes are nice but the pilots are absolutely brain dead!

4 days training isn't very good.

Note: You can look on Youtube for "RAF Crashes" and there will be none, search for "Russian fighter crashes" and you have a nice selection ! :P
SUPERFULCRUM91 (September 20, 2008 at 10:44 am)
yes yes is the bird in the engine. The pilot is expert and the mig is the best fighter in the world.
pilotossss (October 5, 2008 at 12:35 pm)
because raf has "50" aircrafts and russia has "50 000" and more exported :P..:)and england isnt producing such known aircrafts than mig or suchoj and so on! so that you cant say that the russian pilots has low skills ....do you know pugachev cobra maneuver....Can anyx of raf pilots do that maneuver...the answer is : no ........ number of aircrafts arent really only for example .....have nice day boys
whomewhatyou (September 14, 2008 at 2:33 am)
the announcer says "He miraculously survived by a last-second ejection"
Jimmy4manutd7ronaldo (September 7, 2008 at 1:12 am)
fucking russians!!
siekiera77 (August 17, 2008 at 11:08 pm)
okano186
downed by parents...?
okano186 (August 21, 2008 at 12:46 am)
rofl wt?