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ts and the Su-30MKI qualified for the flying display. Both aviation experts and "plain Joe public" visitors were looking forward to see the latest Sukhoi fighter flying at the show. On 12th June 1999 Su-30MKI "01" Blue crashed during a training flight prior to the grand opening. While demonstrating a controlled spin, which was a part of the displaying programme, Aver'yanov initiated recovery too late, making one turn too many. As it pulled out of the dive, the fighter struck the ground in a tail-down altitude; the next moment it was climbing away, but with the starboard-engine's jetpipe broken by the impact and flames belching from the port-engine due to a ruptured fuel line. The damaged engine's nozzle was pointing 30 dregrees up, causing an uncontrollable pitch up. As Su-30MKI stood on its tail and the nose started falling through, Aver'yanov and Shendrik ejected. Seconds later the fighter pancaked out, beside the runway, and exploded - an eerie reminiscent of Anatoliy Kvochur's accident in a Mig-29 at the 1989 Paris Airshow The crew was rushed to a hospital, but it was discharged the following day, as neither Aver'yanov nor Shendrik had suffered any injuries. The experts agreed that the crash was caused by pilot error, Aver'yanov said later that the disorientation caused by the sun affecting the pilot's perception of height, had been the cause of the accident. The crew -Pilot Vyacheslav Averyanov http://www.testpilot.ru/russia/sukhoi/isp/aver.htm -Co-pilot Vladimir Shendrik http://www.testpilot.ru/russia/sukhoi/isp/shendrik.htm Excerpt from video "Test pilots. Survive in an accident" (Летчики-испытатели. Выжить в катастрофе), created/produced by Wings of Russia Studio. http://en.wingstv.ru/ http://wingstv.ru/ Сухой Су-30МКИ. http://www.testpilot.ru/review/isp/su30mk.htm