The bomber performed
its flight without an ammunition load and caused no damage on the ground,
according to the top brass.
MOSCOW, December 17.
/TASS/. A Tupolev Tu-22M3 strategic bomber of Russia’s Aerospace Force landed
with a failed engine on the ground while the pilots were unhurt in the
incident, the Defense Ministry of Russia reported on Tuesday.
"During a
scheduled flight by the Tu-22 aircraft, its engine failed. Thanks to its
skillful actions, the crew managed to steer the plane away from a populated
area and land it on the ground," the ministry said.
According to the
ministry, "the pilots were unhurt and got out of the aircraft on their
own. By now, they have been taken to their home base."
The bomber performed
its flight without an ammunition load and caused no damage on the ground, the
ministry noted.
The Tu-22M3
two-engine supersonic bomber with a crew of four is designated to strike
targets in the strategic depth of enemy territory. The bomber can develop a
maximum speed of 2,300 km/h and has an operating range of 7,000 km.
Russia’s Aerospace
Force currently operates only Tu-22 bombers in their M3 modification. The last
time, a Tu-22M3 bomber crashed on January 22, 2019 when it was approaching for
landing at the airfield of the long-range aviation regiment in Olenegorsk (the
Murmansk Region). As Russia’s Defense Ministry reported, three crewmembers died
in the crash while one pilot was injured.
Source: ITAR-TASS
17-12-2019
