GDANSK: The Belarusian Defense Ministry has confirmed the deaths of two Air Force pilots in a fighter jet crash at an air show in central Poland on Sunday.
The Belarusian Su-27 Flanker fighter crashed while performing aerobatic maneuvers as part of the Radom Air Show. Polish TV channels showed the jet performing a stunt before disappearing behind trees.
The Belta news agency quoted ministry spokesman Vyacheslav Remenchuk as saying Col. Alexander Morfintsky and Col. Alexander Zhuravlevich, both deputy commanders, died in the accident.
According to preliminary data, the plane went down after a bird got caught in the engine.
“The pilots guided the plane away from the populated area without ejecting, and at the cost of their own lives, prevented more severe consequences,” the spokesman told Belta.
Two weeks ago during preparations for the MAKS-2009 air show outside Moscow, two Su-27 planes collided, killing one of the pilots.
