Second Russian TU-22M3 NUCLEAR BOMBER To Have A Major Malfunction And Crash Land In Two Years: Three Russian Pilots Killed In Mishap With Ejector Seat Of Nuclear Bomber

2019

Russian long-range bomber crash-lands in rural area after suffering engine malfunction during training mission 

A long-range Russian bomber has crash-landed in the country's south after suffering an engine malfunction, the defence ministry has said. The Tu-22M3 bomber, known by its NATO code-name Backfire, landed on its belly in the Astrakhan region, 780 miles south of Moscow, on Monday. Two crewmen brought the bomber down in a field away from major towns and cities and were not seriously hurt in the crash, a government spokesman said. The bomber was taking part in a training mission and was not armed at the time of the crash, the spokesman added. Supersonic Tu-22M3 bombers entered active service in 1989 as an updated version of the Cold War-era Tu-22M, which began flying missions in 1972. Tu-22M3 bombers have taken part in bombing campaigns in Syria, flying from their bases in Russia Source

 

2021

Three Russian Pilots Killed In Mishap With Ejector Seat Of Nuclear Bomber

Three members of a Russian bomber's air crew died on Tuesday when their ejector seats accidentally activated during preflight checks, the military said. The Russian Defense Ministry said the incident happened at an airbase in the Kaluga region, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Moscow. It said the crew of a Tu-22M3 long-range bomber was preparing for a training mission when its ejection system malfunctioned and accidentally shot the crew out. The ministry said the altitude wasn't enough for the parachutes to open and three of the four crew members died of injuries. Russian media reported that the victims included Col. Vadim Beloslyudtsev, the commander of the bomber unit stationed at the Shaikovka airbase near Kaluga. Russian news reports said the fourth crew member survived the incident and was hospitalised. An official investigation into the incident has been launched. The accidental activation of the rescue system is extremely rare, and some experts speculated that it could have been caused by an electrical malfunction or human error. The Tu-22M3 is a supersonic twin-engine long-range bomber, which is capable of carrying nuclear weapons. About 60 are estimated to remain in service with the Russian air force, and some have flown bombing missions to strike militants in Syria from their bases in Russia. Source