Comments on: Su-27 crash in Lvov video

By: STEVE WILLIAMS

STEVE WILLIAMS — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:51:54 +0000

I was not at the airshow so will not make comments on the pilots capabilities though having been associated with military aviation I know that Russian pilots are very good at their job. The SU-27 is an excellent aircraft and very durable. Anyone who goes to an airshow in any country knows a crash can occur. The actions taken by the Russian judicial system is up to them. If there was a mechanical failure I don’t think the Russian Air Force would allow any experienced pilot to be sentenced to jail. He was obviously flying too close to the audience when the accident occured. Pilots do make mistakes. Not just Russian pilots. American pilots have crashed many times and yes into populated areas where lives are lost. I know for a fact that if a pilot loses an aircraft to other than a malfunction of the aircraft engines or flight systems there is an immediate investigation, and if found failing even if the pilots are not imprisoned their military careers are over. In many cases (airshows included) we lose pilots because they stay with an aircraft too long before ejecting or not ejecting at all. I am sure the Russian Air Force probably has the same set up. I catagorically state that no aircrew would knowingly fly a questionable aircraft or knowingly endanger the lives of spectators, Russian, American, Italian (remember Germany) or any other nationality. As far as the superiority of one nations aircraft over another, America makes some damn good airplanes, let me state in all fairness state that the Su-27 family of aircraft are damn good planes and with a good pilot is a serious advisary. Just ask the USAF about the IAF and the casualties the USAF took against their SU-30’s, then ask any American whom has had the good fortune to fly against the Lufwaffe’s MIG-29’s and ask them about the quality of Russian Aircraft. The Russian will sell us a squadron of SU-27’s when we are prepared to sell them a squadron of new F-15E’s. For the record I am a retired USMC plane captain. I responded because a couple of the comments were ridiculously nationalistic and stupid. Lets all come to our senses and say our prayers for those who lost their lives, their families, the aircrews families and the aircrew themselves. They have to live with this for the rest of thier lives. That’s just my take on the accident.
Steve

By: Magnus Wass

Magnus Wass — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:45:22 +0000

Never heard of Swedish JAS 39 Gripen, this plane is rock’n roll!

By: Mario

Mario — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:44:16 +0000

Is not an pilot mistake..Don be an ignorant..Was an engine failure, left engine, so like the aircraft was too close to the ground because its perofming air show, It hadn`t aply the recober procedure by engine failure..So the aircraft rolls out of control, cuased by torque wich produce only one engine working…It wasnt a pilot mistake the cause , but i readed that the pilot dint respect the minimun altitudes either the distance between spectators and aircraft.

By: Vladimir

Vladimir — Fri, 23 May 2008 20:57:34 +0000

Such a tragedy… I watched it on a reality tv… They said organizers made a horrible mistake by allowing fly-bys over people’s heads. It’s a great machine, SU27, but certainly has it’s limitations, and so do people who fly them. Who’s fault was it? Does it really matter?

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 01:02:44 +0000

So many morons here. Do you really think you know better than some decorated and highly experienced military pilots?

It’s clear there was a mechanical faillure - probably along side some organisational errors, as stated before - and that the pilot tried to do everything to stay on the line and not to end up in the crowd. These brave men, who only ejected AFTER it was obvious there was nothing more they could do, are not at fault, and their jail sentences are just more bullshit to keep the SU-27’s nose clean..

A great plane by design, but the funding in these countries is far from adequate. So even the best planes will suffer from lack of maintenance and poorly made parts.

I applaude the crew’s bravery, even though this is obviously a very sad event. But accidents happen, you cannot avoid it. Hopefully this will never happen again. RIP.

And to the people that spout their pro-USA propaganda here. Learn to read and write your own language before you pass judgement on people, about things you clearly have no real knowledge of. So much stupidity. Keep on bombing innocent people, that’s the only thing the USA is good at.

By: is

is — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 10:14:55 +0000

Mike that was stupid. Tt WAS the pilots faults.
Even after these years for me its still depressing to watch a video of that crash

By: chris

chris — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:55:53 +0000

this could have been avoided
look at the vid(s)
the problem was he rolled over to the right
this caused the aircraft to lose attitude quickly
if he rolled to the left in stead they wouldnt have crashed

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:09:07 +0000

Holy crap…I’ve heard about this for a long time, but never have I seen footage of the crash. That was horrible. At least the video that was posted was horrible. If you listen closely you hear the “hickup” of the engines, and following the “hickup” you hear a sudden burst of thrust. I don’t believe that they intended on getting that low, but I bet they were given permission to get lower than usual. I don’t think that it was pilot error, I believe that it was the person who told them to do that’s fault. To me, experience doesn’t count. Those pilots reacted the same way any other person would have, do what your told and react to each situation as it happens. No pilot error, organizational error that was. I feel bad for the people that witnessed it. That is probably the most grusome video I’ve seen in quite some time. R.I.P

By: Aggelos

Aggelos — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:51:51 +0000

84 people were killed and over 100 injured. RIP to all those….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sknyliv_%28Ukraine%29_airshow_disaster

Watch this video. (VERY GRAPHIC FOOTAGE!!!)
http://www.zionkowski.com/klipy/Su-27.avi

By: Mattster

Mattster — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 12:23:25 +0000

I remember watching this on holiday, i think that it is a simple matter of pilot error. I think that he did not carry enough speed into the move and therefore stalled. The same thing happened when the fairy firefly crashed at duxford. Very sad, may god rest their souls.