Technical Malfunction Among Causes Of Tu-22M3 Bomber Crash - Russian Military

All causes of the deadly Tu-22M3 bomber crash in northern Russia on Tuesday, including the technical malfunction of the aircraft, are being considered, the Russian Defense Ministry said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2019) All causes of the deadly Tu-22M3 bomber crash in northern Russia on Tuesday, including the technical malfunction of the aircraft, are being considered, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The ministry earlier reported that after completing a scheduled training flight, the Tu-22M3 plane crashed during landing at an airfield in the Murmansk region as it was hit by a snow squall. The bomber, which did not carry any munitions load, was destroyed in the crash. Three crew members were killed, while one was seriously injured and is staying in intensive care in a serious condition.

"A commission from the Russian Defense Ministry flew to the airfield in the Murmansk region to establish all the circumstances of the crash landing of the Tu-22M3 aircraft. Currently, all possible versions of what happened, including a technical malfunction of the aircraft, are being considered," the report said.

The ministry specified that the crashed Tu-22M3 was manufactured 33 years ago. It underwent a major overhaul in 2012 and was scheduled for modernization in the near future.