A pilot from the Russian Su-27 Flanker combat aircraft that crashed earlier on Wednesday during a training flight near the city of Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East has been hospitalized, a Defense Ministry official said.
“The pilot is in a satisfactory condition,” a spokesman for the Eastern Military District said.
He said the pilot had ejected shortly before the plane crashed at 17:22 local time (6:22 GMT). He added that the plane fell on the Solovei Klyuch village, but no one was hurt on the ground.
A special commission has been set up to investigate the cause of the accident and its members are currently working at the crash site.
Defense Ministry sources earlier said that the crash might have been caused by a technical failure, including engine failure.
A crash involving a Su-27 aircraft also occurred last September in Russia’s Far East, with both pilots ejecting.
The Su-27 is a Mach-2 class air-superiority aircraft designed as a direct competitor for the heavy fourth generation Western fighters, such as the F-15 Eagle.
KHABAROVSK, April 6 (RIA Novosti)