The Russian Defense Ministry has announced all Sukhoi-27 fighter jets in the Russia Aero-Space Force have been grounded until the cause of a crash near Moscow is understood, reports Russian state news media TASS.
“According to preliminary findings, technical problems were to blame,” the ministry’s statement says.
Earlier, a source in the panel of inquiry told TASS all Sukhoi-27 had been grounded.
According to a source in the panel of inquiry has told TASS, the black box of the crashed warplane is in good condition.
“The ‘box’ has been found, it is one, it is in a good condition,” the source said.
The Su-27 warplane of the Russian Knights aerobatic team crashed in the Pushkinsky district in the Moscow Region earlier on Thursday after the aerobatic team took part in a ceremony of opening a monument to aviators in Ashukino, again reports TASS.
The pilot of the aircraft was killed. Reports from the defense ministry say the pilot attempted to pilot the fighter away from populated areas on the ground.
