Mig-29 crash at Paris Air Show Le Bourget 1989
On the opening day (8th June 1989) Mikoyan test pilot Anatoliy Kvochur was making a demonstration flight in the single-seater Mig-29 '303' Blue. During the high-alpha/low-speed pass at 160m (525ft) that was to conclude the Fulcrum's aerobatic display, the starborad engine surged, belching a sheet of flame. Kvochur immediately selected full afterburner for the working engine; however at 180km/h (111mph) he had insufficient rudder and ailereon authority to counter the trust asymmetry and the result was inevitably an irrecoverable departure. The engine failed at 13hrs 44mins 57sec; the stricken fighter immediately yawed and rolled to starboard, the nose "falling through" until the aircraft entered a vertical dive at 13:45:01. 2.5 seconds later Kvochur ejected at 92m (302ft) after making sure that the aircraft would not hit the spectators. At 13:45:05 the fighter hit the ground beside the runway erupting into a fireball. The pilot landed a mere 30m (98ft) from the wreckage, the ejection seat impacted right next to him. To give a credit where credit is due, the airport's rescue & firefighting team was on the scene 55 seconds after the crash. Kvochur was rushed to hospital, but was released the same day with nothing worse than bruises and a cut above his right eyebrow from the oxygen mask. Indeed he had been extremely lucky as he had ejected oustide the seat's operating envelope, not to mention the proximity of the fireballs and the falling ejection seat. Yet the incident spoke <b>…</b>
