Russia lost its second fighter plane, a Su-30, to an unexplained crash in little more than a week when it was conducting a huge aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities and engaging in combat in the Kherson region.
On October 23, a Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM Flanker multi-role fighter struck an apartment building in Irkutsk, Siberia, killing both crew members and igniting a large ground fire.
The Su-30 is a two-seat, twin-engine, extremely agile fighter aircraft made by the Russian company Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. The nearby Irkutsk Aviation Plant is where the Su-30s are made, and the jet is said to have just taken off from there.
The Flanker crashed at roughly 5:30 p.m. local time during an acceptance flight, according to the official Telegram channel of United Aircraft Corporation, Russia’s quasi-state-owned unified aircraft production and development corporation.
The Su-30SM was not carrying any weapons at the time of the accident, according to state-owned news outlet TASS.
The Su-30 aircraft crashed as it was on a test flight, according to the press office of the Ministry of Emergency Situations’ main office in Irkutsk Oblast. “The plane fell within the city limits, in a private housing area. Fire and rescue units are working on the scene; the information is being clarified,” the message read.
The department claims that the Su-30 multipurpose fighter crash in Irkutsk gave rise to a criminal probe by the Russian Investigative Committee under Article 263 of the Russian Criminal Code.
The incident is notable because it occurs shortly after a Su-34 crashed into a building housing civilians, killing several of them. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a Su-34 fighter bomber crashed in Yeysk, southern Russia, on October 17, after one of its engines caught fire. According to reports, the bomber landed in the courtyard of a residential structure.
At the time, the Russian Defense Ministry stated, “The plane’s fuel caught fire after the Su-34 crashed into the courtyard of a residential building.”
As previously reported by EurAsian Times, the Su-34 crash also took place during a training flight from a military base in the Southern Military District.
These aircraft losses coincide with the loss of pilots and aircraft by the Russian Air Force as a result of its conflict with Ukraine. Additionally, the Su-30 crash caused a significant loss of electricity in several residential buildings nearby, which is ironic given that the Russian aircraft bombardment has mostly been directed at damaging Kyiv’s electrical infrastructure, leading to widespread bombardment.
Su-30 Crashed Again!
In numerous ways, the most recent crash differs from the one before it. The Su-30 fighter jet crashed into the structure, as evidenced by the initial online video.
Veteran Fighter Pilot Squadron Leader Vijainder K Thakur told EurAsian Times, “The plane was on an acceptance test after being built, which means it was a brand new plane.
A catastrophic control failure appears likely. Whether it was pilot initiated crash or a problem with a newly manufactured aircraft can only be determined by a Court of Inquiry. There is likely to be speculation that Russia is rushing production, and the crash was likely caused by poor quality control. However, that would be pure speculation.”
It is important to remember that the Russian Aerospace Force has lost several fighter jets during this conflict, some in accidents and others as a result of being shot down by Ukrainian fighters, MANPADS, or surface-to-air missiles.
The most recent estimate from Ukraine places the number of lost Russian military aircraft at 270. Therefore, there may be some truth to the rumor that the nation produces fighters for military purposes.
The veteran also said in a tweet that: “A possible reason for the crew’s failure to eject could have been the incapacitating negative G experienced by the crew as the Su-30SM flying an acceptance check sortie suddenly dived sharply.”
Negative G causes the face to enlarge and the skull to collect blood, which eventually forces the lower eyelids over the eyes.
The Su-30 is a “4+” generation multipurpose fighter that was created by the Sukhoi Experimental Design Bureau and manufactured in large quantities at the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant.
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