TU22 Ground Ejection Accident - 3 Dead

[Yellow Sun]

The accident involving the apparently inadvertent ejection on the ground (https://defence-blog.com/news/russian-tu-22-backfire-bomber-crashes-in-kaluga-region.html) of 3 crew members of a TU22 at Shaikovka has been reported on a number of websites but with little detail. Whatever the circumstances, a tragic accident.

YS

[ORAC]

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39903/three-killed-in-abnormal-ejection-from-tu-22m3-bomber-at-russian-airbase

An account (https://tvzvezda.ru/news/20213231358-V94aU.html) from TV Zvezda, the official television station of the Russian Ministry of Defense, said that the three crew members were killed since there was insufficient height to safely deploy the parachutes after ejection.

The crew of four in the Tu-22M3 consists of two pilots seated side-by-side in front, with the navigator and weapons system officer seated behind them. All the crew members are provided with KT-1M ejection seats and the aircraft commander is also able to initiate the ejection sequence for the other crew members — according to Interfax (https://www.interfax.ru/russia/757379), this was the case in today’s incident. However, these seats require a minimum speed of 80 miles per hour for safe ejection at altitudes below 200 feet. The Tu-22M3 has a typical takeoff speed of 230 miles per hour.

This would be in line with the aforementioned reports suggesting the ejections occurred after the engines had started but while the bomber was stationary. Even if the aircraft were taxiing, it would not have been moving fast enough to ensure the safe extraction of the crew. Modern combat aircraft are typically fitted with “zero-zero” ejection seats (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38025/watch-crew-eject-from-an-australian-super-hornet-after-an-aborted-takeoff), which have no minimum speed or altitude criteria for safe use.

https://www.aerotime.aero/27518-accidental-ejection-from-tu-22m3-bomber-kills-3-pilots

....The Tu-22M is equipped with a KT-1M ejection system developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau. Given the nature of the incident, it is likely that the “forced ejection” procedure was triggered by the bomber’s commander. If that feature is activated, a sequence begins where the operator is ejected first, then the navigator, then the first officer, and finally the commander of the aircraft.

The KT-1M is advertised as a “zero-zero” ejection seat, meaning it can safely be used from a stationary (zero airspeed, zero altitude) position.......

[Ascend Charlie]

It might not help if they are still under the carport roof. Happened once in Oz.

[NutLoose]

https://theaviationist.com/2021/03/23/ejection-seats-activation-during-preflight-operations-on-russian-tu-22m3-bomber-kills-three-crew-members/

An alleged preliminary report, possibly leaked online, was posted at the Aviaforum site (https://aviaforum.ru/threads/ap-s-chelovecheskimi-zhertvami-s-samoletom-tu-22m3-v-shajkovke-23-03-2021.48539/page-2#post-2962342). Here’s an excerpt translated from Russian:

In preparation for the training flight, after launching the APU and working with the cockpit (https://igor113.livejournal.com/1290371.html) equipment, Captain, who is the deputy squadron commander, switched on all CB (Circuit Breakers) on the CB panel with the lever of the console.

At the same time, the system of forced departure of the crew was triggered according to the standard scheme (the commander of the aircraft leaves the plane on his own). When the forced exit system was triggered, four canopy door were dropped and three crew members were ejected. The mechanisms of the ejection seats worked normally, the separation of the crew members and the launching of the rescue parachutes took place normally, but due to the lack of conditions for safely leaving the aircraft (speed less than 130 km / h), the parachutes were not filled.

Three crew members were fatally injured when they fell onto the concrete surface of the aircraft parking lot at high vertical speed. Chairs KT-1M. KT-1M is an ejection seat developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau. Currently installed on Tu-22M3 and Tu-22MR aircraft.

Ejection is carried out in the following sequence: operator, navigator, right pilot, commander. Both individual and forced ejection are possible. Forced ejection of the crew is performed by the commander, for which it is enough to lift the cap and turn on the “Forced exit” toggle switch on the left side of the cockpit.

At the same time, a red banner “Forced Leaving” lights up at each workplace and the EMRV-27B-1 time relay is switched on for the seats of the right pilot, navigator-navigator and navigator-operator, which are set for a time corresponding to 3.6 s, 1.8 s , 0.3 s.

After 0.3 s, the time relays trigger the EK-69 pneumatic system solenoid valve on the navigator-operator’s seat, while the “Readiness” system is triggered on the seat (triggering the arms and legs scatter limiters and tightening the harness) and pressing the limit switch for resetting the lantern cover.

When the “Readiness” system is triggered, the ACh-1,2 temporary automatic machine is activated on the seat, which after 1 s pulls out the combat pin of the firing mechanism.

Among the crew members who died in the incident there was also the regiment commander, Colonel Vadim Beloslyudtsev, who was pilot-instructor on the planned flight.


Be warned the link at the bottom of that page shows another one crashing and folding up on the runway, the crew were killed.