May 12, 200521 yr From DefenseNews MiG-29 Flights Suspended By LYUBOV PRONINA, MOSCOW Gen. Vladimir Mikhailov, commander of the Russian Air Force, on May 12 temporarily suspended flights by MiG-29 Fulcrums following a MiG-29 crash earlier in the day. The jet crashed at 11:51 a.m. Moscow time near the Andreapol airfield, 350 kilometers west of Tver, northwest of Moscow, killing the pilot, Interfax news agency quoted an Air Force spokesman as saying. The MiG-29 was descending from an altitude of 900 meters to 600 meters when it suddenly slammed into the ground and exploded, 800 meters from the runway. It was the first crash of a Russian Air Force aircraft this year. The plane was flying as part of a group of six from Kubinka air base outside Moscow to perform a simple maneuver in the clouds at midrange and high altitudes, according to Interfax, which quoted a source close to the commission investigating the crash. The source said that all six planes were used to provide security over Moscow on May 9 during the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Allied victory in World War II. Moscow hosted a group of world leaders, including U.S. President George W. Bush. Mikhailov announced that flights would remain suspended until the cause of the crash is identified.
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