Mig-23 crash in the USA

[BrettMRC]

https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michig...

Looks like it was the same aircraft that displayed at Oshkosh.
Both crew ok, but from reports it sounds like it was a close run thing for people on the ground.

[2 GKC]

Did they bale out a bit early? Can’t have been sure where that was going to land

[zsdom]

America seriously needs to have a long hard look at it’s aviation scene, they have far too many crashes & incidents for my liking

[IanH755]

From the video where it glides overhead at about 200-300ft, the engine wasn't running, not even at idle and with no APU sounds etc, so it would've had very little flight control authority only using "back-up" hyds at best.

I've watched a few of the pilots youtube videos done by his support crew and it appeared to be a relatively professional group.

[essayer]

bad day

source: https://eu.freep.com/picture-gallery/news/local/mi...

[rjfp1962]

Was involved in another incident back on the 28th July 2023, where a large piece of canopy glass broke off whilst carrying out manouvres at the EAA Air Venture Oshkosh Air Show, WI. On this occasion it landed safely..

[aeropilot]

IanH755 said:

From the video where it glides overhead at about 200-300ft, the engine wasn't running, not even at idle and with no APU sounds etc, so it would've had very little flight control authority only using "back-up" hyds at best.

Yep, seen reports on other forums from someone that was there and saw it, saying he saw large puff of black smoke out the back, soon after, heard ATC/Airboss on airband receiver asking pilot "Mig23, what type of emergency", and then after unanswered pause, asking again "Mig23 are you declaring an emergency" by which time the crew had already banged out....
High probability engine quit/flamed out and they had very little time at that height to do much else. Bird strike maybe?
Bang seats in the Mig23 appear to be not zero-zero either, and have a not instant initiation procedure.
Crew seemed to have landed in the nearby lake, so that could also have gone wrong for them.

Its an absolute miracle the jet didn't take out the apartment block it impacted next to, and another 1-2 secs of flight time and it would have strewn itself in a fireball across the main I-94 highway......either of which could have given the USA it's "Shoreham moment".

Be interesting to see how the FAA deal with this one.

[aeropilot]

NTSB investigator has told press that crash caused by engine problem (as a few of us surmised from the video) and crew declared emergency before having to bang out.

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/08/...

[andySC]

https://youtu.be/WsHPoQygnVQ

Walk around video of a MIG-23. Lots of interesting details about the jet. I’d guess it’s a massively complex machine & the upkeep costs enormous. Is this the jet that crashed? Can’t imagine too many 23’s in private hands?

[aeropilot]

andySC said:

https://youtu.be/WsHPoQygnVQ

Walk around video of a MIG-23. Lots of interesting details about the jet. I’d guess it’s a massively complex machine & the upkeep costs enormous. Is this the jet that crashed?

Yes, it is.

Most people are still surprised that the FAA ever let one be flown on the civilian airshow circuit, given the reputation the aircraft has as being very tricky to fly.
The USAF operated one back in the 80's at their secret testing base in Tonopah, and the USAF test pilots hated it.....the pilot with the most flights in it, over 250 of them, was quoted as saying "Every time I flew that thing it was trying to kill me"
And it did eventually kill the boss of the test unit, and one of the original F-117 TP's, on his first flight in it.

[u-boat]

Mig 23 doesn’t need pilots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Belgium_MiG-23_...

[Tango13]

aeropilot said:

andySC said:

https://youtu.be/WsHPoQygnVQ

Walk around video of a MIG-23. Lots of interesting details about the jet. I’d guess it’s a massively complex machine & the upkeep costs enormous. Is this the jet that crashed?

Yes, it is.

Most people are still surprised that the FAA ever let one be flown on the civilian airshow circuit, given the reputation the aircraft has as being very tricky to fly.
The USAF operated one back in the 80's at their secret testing base in Tonopah, and the USAF test pilots hated it.....the pilot with the most flights in it, over 250 of them, was quoted as saying "Every time I flew that thing it was trying to kill me"
And it did eventually kill the boss of the test unit, and one of the original F-117 TP's, on his first flight in it.

This is the book...

https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/steve-davies/red-e...

Iirc under certain conditions the rotating parts of the engine could rub against the casing causing terminal engine failure.

[aeropilot]

Tango13 said:

Iirc under certain conditions the rotating parts of the engine could rub against the casing causing terminal engine failure.

Why you can't pull too much 'g' in them, as that tended to be one of the consequences of doing so.

[aeropilot]

Prelim NTSB report out now...........makers err, interesting reading..!

PDF of report downloadable from here.

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/Re...

[normalbloke]

Wow..

[phil-sti]

aeropilot said:

Prelim NTSB report out now...........makers err, interesting reading..!

PDF of report downloadable from here.

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/Re...

So rear seater shat his pants and ejected them both? oh dear

[5 In a Row]

I imagine the observer won't be getting any more christmas cards from the pilot!!

[aeropilot]

5 In a Row said:

I imagine the observer won't be getting any more christmas cards from the pilot!!

Back seater was type rated on the Flogger as well, and also a ex-USN or USMC fast jet pilot, so it maybe that the front seater might owe his life to the back seater's command ejection?

[phil-sti]

aeropilot said:

5 In a Row said:

I imagine the observer won't be getting any more christmas cards from the pilot!!

Back seater was type rated on the Flogger as well, and also a ex-USN or USMC fast jet pilot, so it maybe that the front seater might owe his life to the back seater's command ejection?

Just reading about the Mig 23 and it needs a speed of 90 knots minimum for the ejector seat to be effective, maybe this is why he punched out.

[DavieBNL]

phil-sti said:

aeropilot said:

Prelim NTSB report out now...........makers err, interesting reading..!

PDF of report downloadable from here.

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/Re...

So rear seater shat his pants and ejected them both? oh dear

Wow, what an informed contribution to the thread.