Fighter jet crashes in southern Russia, killing pilot

USPA News - A fighter jet of the Russian Air Force crashed in southwestern Russia on Sunday morning, killing the pilot after he disobeyed an order to eject, military officials said, blaming the accident on a technical fault. There were no casualties on the ground.

The accident happened at about 9:20 a.m. local time on Sunday when the Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jet went down in a steppe about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) northeast of the port city of Astrakhan, the capital of Astrakhan Oblast in southwest Russia. The pilot was the only person on board. "The flight supervisor gave the pilot a command to eject. However, the pilot, trying to save the aircraft, remained at the steering wheel and was killed," Russian Defense Ministry Major General Igor Konashenkov told the Itar-Tass news agency. No one was injured on the ground as there are no homes in the area. Air Force Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev said the crash was believed to be the result of an equipment failure, but provided no further details. He said the aircraft - belonging to the 185th Combat Training and Combat Employment Center - was conducting a routine training flight in the region.