Pilot died in Su-27 collision because chute caught fire in air

MOSCOW. August 17. KAZINFORM A Russian military pilot killed in a two-plane collision during a rehearsal for the MAKS-2009 air show near Moscow died because his parachute caught fire during the fall, an investigator said on Monday; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.

The Sunday collision near Zhukovsky airfield, east of Moscow, involved two Su-27 Flanker jet fighters from Russia's elite aerobatics group Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights).

All three pilots ejected, and two of them were later found on the ground in serious but satisfactory condition. The dead pilot was identified as Col. Igor Tkachenko, 45, commander of the Russian Knights.

"We have questioned the witnesses. One of them...saw the parachute of one of the pilots catching fire in the air from the burning debris of the plane. The dead pilot was later identified as Igor Tkachenko," the source said.

According to preliminary investigations, the accident was most likely caused by pilot error during an aerobatics maneuver, although the possibility of a technical failure has not been ruled out; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

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