An Air Show Fighter Crashed, 83 Were Killed

The Russian government operated Itar Tass press reported that in an Air Show near Libof, west of Ukraine, a SU 27 fighter crashed to the crowd during a low flying stunt, and at least 83 were killed and 116 were injured on the 27th. This press reported that the most of the casualties were serious so more people would die.

The fighter crashed into the thousands of people during a low-flying stunt that required advanced techniques. The witnesses said that the fighter flew right above the ground just as it was touching the ground and hit the trees near the runway and other planes on the runway, ran into the crowd, exploded, and covered with a massive flame.

Right after the crash, fire engines were mobilized and extinguished the fire in about ten minutes, but there were ten’s of corpses at the spot and the running crowd made a pandemonium. The two pilots escaped with parachutes right before the accident. The Ukrainian military officials consider the engine trouble as the cause of the accident. The SU 27 is the former Soviet fighter that has 2 vertical tails and two engines, and it has been posted in the Air Force since 1981.

The Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, who was having vacation in the Crimean Peninsular, arrived at the accident spot immediately and changed the Air Force Commander Victor Strelnikov calling to account, and closed the Air Show.

Ki-Hyun Kim kimkihy@donga.com