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IAF's SU-30 MKI crashes, one pilot dead

Looks like FBW failure,can anyone enlighten me of "Bunting"manoeuvre.

Thanks.
 
IAF team recovers black box of Sukhoi

An investigation team of Indian Air Force has recovered the black box of Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet that crashed near Rajmathi village here on Thursday killing a pilot.

The black box was recovered from the wreckage of the aircraft on Friday. It is expected to detect the exact cause behind the crash, sources said on Saturday.

The Su-30MKI from one of the squadrons based in Lohegaon near Pune had crashed near Jaisalmer leaving a pilot dead and another injured.

The two were on a routine sortie after participating in an exercise in Pokhran ranges when the mishap occurred.

As the aircraft was flying, the pilots sensed trouble and after reporting it, successfully ejected out of the aircraft.

However, rescue teams found one of the pilot seriously injured on the ground and rushed him to a military hospital, where he was declared dead.
HindustanTimes-Print
 
Russian experts summoned as IAF's Sukhoi fleet still grounded

By Ritu Sharma
New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has summoned Russian experts to inspect its fleet of frontline Sukhoi Su-30MKI combat jets following the crash of one of the aircraft after a 12-year accident-free record. The fleet will remain grounded till the experts sound the all-clear, an official said Tuesday.



"Russian experts have been summoned to inspect the aircraft's airframe and systems. Until then, the fleet will remain grounded," an IAF officer told IANS, requesting anonymity.


The IAF grounded its fleet of approximately 55 Russian-origin Su-30s after one of the aircraft crashed last week. Generally, an entire fleet is not grounded if an aircraft of a particular type crashes. In the case of the Su-30, however, there have been "recurring complaints" by pilots about problems with the jet.


The grounding of the Su-30 fleet has given rise to the alarming possibility of "structural faults" with the aircraft.


In a blot on its otherwise unblemished record, a Su-30MKI crashed in Jaisalmer April 30, killing the co-pilot. The pilot, Wing Commander S.V. Munje, and the co-pilot, Wing Commander P.S. Narah, managed to bail out in time but Narah was killed after he was apparently hit by the falling debris of the aircraft.


"Contrary to reports that Narah died as his parachute failed to open, he was able to stream the parachute," another official said, without elaborating.


Ironically, Narah belonged to the IAF's Directorate General of Inspections and Safety and was putting the aircraft through its annual safety checks.


The aircraft had taken off from the Lohegaon air base in Pune on a routine sortie and crashed at 10.30 a.m. while returning to its base.


The IAF operates three squadrons of the jet, some of which were bought in a fly-away condition from its Russian manufacturer while the others were manufactured under license by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).


It was not immediately clear to which of these categories the crashed jet belonged.


The Su-30 has won universal acclaim from the air forces of the US, Britain and France whenever it has been fielded against them in war games. Eight Su-30s had participated in the prestigious Red Flag exercise with the US Air Force at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, last year and had more than held their own against their counterparts' F/A-18 and F-16 combat jets.
____________________


- "Russian experts have been summoned to inspect the aircraft's airframe and systems. Until then, the fleet will remain grounded," an IAF officer told IANS, requesting anonymity.

- The IAF grounded its fleet of approximately 55 Russian-origin Su-30s (IAF has only 55 MKI not 100+ as previously claimed by fanboys)..

- "Contrary to reports that Narah died as his parachute failed to open, he was able to stream the parachute," another official said, without elaborating.
 
but who can india ground her front line fighter just for inspection?.
 
Su-30 mishap: IAF asks Russia to inspect fleet

New Delhi: India has asked Russia to swiftly dispatch a top-level technical team to inspect its Sukhoi-30 MKI fleet, which has remained grounded ever since one of the fighters crashed on April 30 and killed a pilot.
The IAF is obviously worried about its twin-seater Sukhoi-30MKIs, the newest and most potent fighter jets in its combat fleet, especially in the backdrop of Russia largely grounding its MiG-29 fleet due to some structural defects recently. “Our accident investigation team is still in Pune to investigate the crash. It will be a joint investigation with Russia since the Sukhoi-30MKIs are still under contractual warrantee from Russia,’’ said a senior officer.
“The airframe and systems of the entire fleet will also undergo a thorough inspection before they are allowed to take to the skies since this is the first Sukhoi-30MKI crash since their induction in 2002,’’ he added.
Incidentally, initial reports indicate the April 30 crash took place due to “a technical defect’’, rather than “pilot error’’, when the fighter flying as part of a four-aircraft formation suddenly went into an uncontrollable spin.
Though IAF currently operates around 60 Sukhoi-30MKIs, based in Pune and Bareilly, India has signed deals worth a staggering $8.5 billion for a total of 230 of these “air dominance’’ fighters. Grappling with a free-fall in the number of IAF fighter squadrons (each has 16-18 jets), down to just 33 from a “sanctioned strength’’ of 39.5, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has been directed to finish the production of the 140 Sukhoi-30MKIs it has to manufacture under technology transfer by 2013-2014, instead of the originally scheduled 2017-2018. The Sukhoi-30MKIs, in fact, along with the 3,500-km-plus nuclear-capable Agni-III missile, which will be ready for deployment by 2010, constitute a crucial part of the “active deterrence’’ posture against China.
 
reports comin out, ISI invovled in makin the aircraft crash
 
Manu Pubby
Posted: Saturday , May 02, 2009 at 0012 hrs IST
New Delhi:


After the fatal crash in which one pilot was killed, the entire fleet of India’s most advanced fighter jet, the Su 30 MKI, remained on the ground for the second consecutive day while IAF technicians carried out checks on the aircraft.



A senior officer said that while the reliability of the aircraft is not in question, the fighters did not fly on Friday as “precautionary checks” are being carried out to rule out any fault. Confirming that no flights took place at Pune or Bareilly, the two airfields where the fighters are based, the officer said that fighters will stay on the ground till the IAF is fully satisfied that they are fit to fly.



As first reported by this newspaper, the fleet was grounded immediately after Thursday morning’s crash near the Pokharan firing ranges in which one pilot, Wing Commander P S Nara, was killed while the other survived.



While a detailed court of inquiry has been ordered into the accident, the first ever for the MKI version of the Su 30 that was inducted in 2002, fresh details have emerged about the crash that practically rule out pilot error.



Sources familiar with the investigation say that the fighter, which was flying as part of a four-aircraft group at over 20,000 feet, went into an involuntary ‘bunting’ manoeuver that tossed it around at an angle of 270 degrees.



Following the violent manoeuver, the fighter plummeted to the earth in an uncontrollable spin and did not respond to controls, forcing the two pilots to eject. An official said that this could point to either a technical fault or some sort of structural damage to the fighter.
 

Wed, May 6

A high-level Russian team is arriving on Wednesday to help investigate the Su 30 MKI crash last week that killed one pilot after the Indian Air Force (IAF) admitted that it was 'confounded' by the accident.

The entire fleet of India's most modern fighter aircraft remains on the ground with no flying being carried out since Thursday as the IAF has not been able to figure out the cause of the crash.

Air Chief Marshal F H Major described the crash as 'bizarre' when asked about the possible cause of the accident on the sidelines of a defence function on Tuesday. Another top officer said the Air Force was 'confounded' by the way the fighter crashed after going out of control last week. Sources said the fleet would remain on the ground till the team from the Sukhoi Corporation, the designers of the aircraft, carried out a thorough check and ensured that there was no large-scale problem. "The crash was bizarre and we are confounded by it. That is why the Russian team is coming to investigate," a senior IAF officer said.

The flight data recorder, also called the black box, has been recovered from the crash site but sources familiar with the investigation said it had been badly damaged in the accident. The recorder has now been sent to England for forensic examination.

As first reported by this newspaper, the incident has left the Air Force astounded due to the way its most advanced fighter went out of control.

Russian team arrives today to probe Sukhoi crash - Yahoo! India News
 

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force has denied grounding the fleet of Sukhoi-30 MKI.

There were reports that the Indian Air Force had grounded its fleet and summoned experts from Russia to re-examine the aircraft.

The aircraft haven't been flown since April 30th. A Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft crashed in the Pokharan region of Rajasthan after taking off from Pune during its routine sortie.

The pilot of the plane was killed in the accident. The IAF is now carrying out precautionary checks to rule out any structural, mechanical or engineering defect.

India currently has three squadrons of the Su-30 MKI - two at Pune and one at Bareilly - while two more are in the process of being raised.

The MKI variant of the Su-30 was inducted in 2002 and the fighters have had an impeccable safety record.

IAF has said that a fleet is grounded only if a specific defect is identified and needs to be remedied. It is generally done on the recommendation of the manufacturer of the aircraft, and in this case, no defect has been noticed in the Su-30 MKI fleet.

The SU-30 has had a flawless, crash-free record for 12 years in the IAF before the April 30 accident.

IAF denies grounding Sukhoi fleet
 
Webby, ther is no need for new thread on this topic, pls. merge this with other thread "IAF's SU-30 MKI crashes, one pilot dead" on this forum...
 
its better to get it verified by the Russian technician, as thay have made this machine and knows well about the machine so as to be able to avoide these kind of incidents. Also as its India Front line fighter.
 

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