Anatoly Knyshov
The reason for the abnormal operation of the catapult on the Russian long-range bomber Tu-22M3, as a result of which three pilots died at the Shaikovka airfield near Kaluga, could have been sabotage. This version was put forward by the Hero of Russia, test pilot Anatoly Knyshov in an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets.
According to Knyshov, the ejection system “has been tested for decades” and is used only when the aircraft's engine fails and the speed drops sharply. In the case of the incident near Kaluga, there were no prerequisites for activating the mechanism, since the bomber was on the ground.
“What happened looks more like a sabotage, and I think only the commission will be able to determine the cause of the tragedy,” the pilot noted.
Major General, Honored Military Pilot of Russia Vladimir Popov said on the air of Sputnik radio that the failure of the electrical part could be the cause of the emergency. “Still, it depends on the electrics. An electrical impulse, its guidance could pass through the wires – a short circuit, something else so sudden, ”he explained, adding that such cases are extremely rare. According to the specialist, the weather conditions in the region could have contributed to such a development of events.
The first class pilot, who was previously the commander of the Tu-22M3, reserve colonel Viktor Neskorodey, in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda, indicated that the catapult was triggered when the engines were started. “Perhaps this is where the mystery or the reason for the emergency lies,” he said.
Honored pilot of the USSR, former military pilot Oleg Smirnov, commenting on the state of emergency in an interview with the newspaper “Vzglyad”, suggested that the cause of the incident could have been an error of the pilot who was in the commander's seat – it is next to his seat that the “Forced Leaving” toggle switch is located, which is used in order to forcibly eject three crew members in an emergency.
A similar point of view was expressed by a high-ranking source of the publication in the Aerospace Forces (VKS). “Perhaps the one who was sitting in the seat of the crew commander, out of lack of education or excitement, turned on the mentioned toggle switch on the left seat, even though it is under the cover,” said the source of Vzglyad. At the same time, he admitted that the problem could be associated with design flaws in the Tu-22M3 ejection system, which both designers and pilots have long known about.
At the same time, Hero of Russia, test pilot Magomed Tolboyev said on the air of the NSN that he personally tested the ejection system on this bomber model and did not understand how it could cause the death of the pilots. “It works fine even at 0 meters altitude and 0 kilometers per hour. Let the Defense Ministry be responsible for its carelessness, and so on. But this cannot be so that they died during the bailout, ”he stressed.
An emergency with the Tu-22M3 at the Shaikovka airfield occurred on the afternoon of March 23. Initially, sources said the plane crashed or made an emergency landing. Later, information appeared that an emergency occurred on the ground – the bomber's catapults worked abnormally.
Three servicemen were killed. One pilot survived: he managed to buckle up, while the rest were still fastened in the cockpit. There are no casualties or injuries among the local residents.
